The present-day U.S. military qualifies by any measure as highly professional, much more so than its Cold War predecessor. Yet the purpose of today’s professionals is not to preserve peace but to fight unending wars in distant places. Intoxicated by a post-Cold War belief in its own omnipotence, the United States allowed itself to be drawn into a long series of armed conflicts, almost all of them yielding unintended consequences and imposing greater than anticipated costs. Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. forces have destroyed many targets and killed many people. Only rarely, however, have they succeeded in accomplishing their assigned political purposes. . . . [F]rom our present vantage point, it becomes apparent that the “Revolution of ‘89” did not initiate a new era of history. At most, the events of that year fostered various unhelpful illusions that impeded our capacity to recognize and respond to the forces of change that actually matter.

Andrew Bacevich


Friday, March 6, 2009

War News for Friday, March 06, 2009

March 3 airpower summary:

375 Kurds killed, hurt in Iraq raids since October: report:

Demand for Predator spy planes continues:

US officer 'stole Iraq aid funds':

Intelligence failures crippling fight against insurgents in Afghanistan, says report:


Reported Security incidents:

Baghdad:
#1: Thursday A member of awakening council was killed and three civilians were injured by a roadside bomb in Saidiyah neighborhood around 7 p.m.


Diyala Prv:
Balad Ruz:
#1: Three civilians were wounded on Friday in a bomb blast in southwest of Baaquba, a police source said. “An improvised explosive device went off on Friday (March 6) in a local birds market in Baladruz, southwest of Baaquba, injuring three civilians,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Amarra:
#1: One wanted gunman was killed while another escaped at a police checkpoint in northern Amara city, a media source from the Missan police department said on Thursday. “The gunmen’s car was chased by the police checkpoint at al-Btera street, (5 km) northern Amara,” Col. Sadeq Salam told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The gunmen were ordered to stop but they did not obey the checkpoint’s orders,” he added.


Tikrit:
#1: A lorry loaded with bombs went off on Friday in north of Tikrit city, a source from the Salah el-din police department said. “Acting on a tip-off, a police force found a lorry with two people inside, who are trying to enter the city at al-Qadissiya neighborhood in north of Tikrit,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The force suspected it and asked the two persons to pull over, but they blew it up immediately,” he added, noting that the explosion left no casualties.


Mosul:
#1: Thursday Six people were wounded in a suicide car bombing attack on an Iraqi army checkpoint in northern Mosul, the second of its kind on Thursday, a Ninewa police source said.
“A car rigged with explosives driven by a suicide bomber targeted an Iraqi army checkpoint in the neighborhood of al-Hadbaa, northern Mosul, leaving six people, including an Iraqi soldier, wounded,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: A woman and a policeman were wounded in a car bomb in Mosul, the third of its kind in the city on Thursday, a police source in Ninewa said. “A third car bomb, parked at a main street, went off on Thursday (March 5) near a police patrol in Wadi Hajar, southern Mosul, leaving a policeman and a woman wounded,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#3: An improvised explosive device blast killed an Iraqi soldier in eastern Mosul city on Thursday, according to a source in the Iraqi army’s 2nd Division information department. “A Division soldier was killed on Thursday evening after an IED went off near his patrol in al-Jaza’er neighborhood, eastern Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “A military vehicle was destroyed in the explosion,” the source added, not giving further information.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Taliban militants in Pakistan's restive tribal area on Friday killed two men they accused of spying for US forces stationed across the border in Afghanistan, officials said. The bullet-riddled bodies of Afghan refugee Sher Khan and Pakistani tribal elder Nazar Jan were found early Friday at separate places in the North Waziristan tribal district bordering Afghanistan, officials in those areas said. "Notes found with the bodies said the men were killed for spying for the US," tribal police official Rukh Niaz Khan told AFP.


It seems to be a slow news day this morning. I'll update the post later today. -- whisker

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