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, August 14, 2009

War News for Friday, August 14, 2009

The British MoD is reporting the deaths of three ISAF soldiers in an IED attack near Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Thursday, August 13th.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier in a direct fire attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, August 13th. The press have reported this to be an American soldier.



Pentagon Confirms Plans to Train Georgian Troops for Afghanistan:

NPR: In Afghanistan, Trucking Can Be A Deadly Business:

Bill Cahir, Express-Times reporter-turned-Marine sergeant, killed in Afghanistan:

US. Army Capt. John Tinsley, former FSU Army ROTC, dies in Afghanistan:

Air Force may buzz before bombing in Afghanistan: (here's some stupid shit -- whisker)


Reported Security incidents:

Baghdad:
#1: A motorcycle bomb exploded late Thursday near a restaurant in a Shiite enclave in southern Baghdad, killing at least two civilians and wounding 10 others, police said.

#2: Thursday Around 10 p.m. a roadside bomb targeted civilians near a café in Dora. One civilian was killed and five others were injured.


Diyala Prv:
#1: An improvised explosive device went off Friday injuring four persons in south of the city of Baaquba, according to a security source. “An explosive charge went off on the main street in Bahraz, south of Baaquba, targeting a civilian vehicle with Iraqi soldiers onboard,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The blast injured four people, including three army soldiers and a civilian,” he added.

#2: Thursday A suicide bomber wearing a vest bomb tried to attack a Sufi Muslims gathering in Al Jahiza area south of Baquba. The explosion killed the suicide bomber only.


Sinjar:
#1: A double suicide bombing devastated a cafe packed with young people in northwestern Iraq on Thursday, killing at least 21 people, officials said, in the latest attack against a minority community. Thursday's attack occurred shortly after 5 p.m. in Sinjar, a city dominated by members of the Kurdish-speaking Yazidi religious group that is concentrated near the Syrian border. The bombers detonated their explosives Thursday inside the Ayoub cafe as the popular sunset destination was packed with people drinking tea and playing dominoes.


Hawija:
#1: A gunman riding a motorcycle shot dead a policeman in Hawija, 210 km (130 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.


Mosul:
#1: Iraqi army forces dismantled three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) emplaced over a small bridge in the district of Tal Abta, southwestern Mosul, on Thursday, according to the district chief. “The three charges were found during a search campaign that followed an IED attack on an Iraqi army patrol in the area that left no casualties,” Abdulrahman Hassan Khaled told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Tel Afar:
#1: Iraqi policemen on Thursday found the body of a civilian man who had been kidnapped in the village of Alw, north of Talafar, on Wednesday, the district’s police chief said. “The body, that was found in the village of Jakan Kharabi, southern Talafar, (60 km northwest of Mosul, showed signs of having been shot,” Col. Ali Hadi Ubeid told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The dead man, a 30-year-old resident of al-Qadissiya neighborhood, northern Talafar, had been kidnapped on Wednesday (Aug. 12) in Alw village, north of Talafar, and was found today (Aug. 13) in southern Talafar,” Ubeid added.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Five civilians, including two women and two children, were killed in crossfire between Taliban insurgents and government troops in northern Baghlan province on Thursday, a local official said.

#2: Twelve insurgents were killed when Afghan and foreign forces targetted a compound of militants in Sayed Abad district, Wardak province.
District official Fazel Karim said the compound was a training centre manned by four Arabs who were also among the dead.

#3: Eight insurgents were killed when Afghan troops clashed with insurgents in Nawzad district, Helmand province.

#4: The U.S. military says two rockets were fired at Kabul's airport, but neither caused damage or casualties. Chief Petty Officer Brian Naranjo says the rockets were fired on Friday. It is the second rocket attack on the capital this month.

#5: Gunmen shot dead a TV channel reporter in northwest Pakistan on Friday, local TV channel reported. Sidiq Bacha, reporter of the private Aaj TV, was killed in Mardan city of the North West Frontier Province when he reached his office on Friday morning, the private channel Express reported.


Casualty Reports:

Specialist Matthew Birr. 19, is recovering after a rocket-propelled grenade blew up near his barracks in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Fridley native was hit by shrapnel. "It just hit him and I don't know for but he must have flew because it hit him in the back of his head, on the right side, went through part of his brain and came out the left side above his eye" said Frieda. "After the blast they cleaned the shrapnel out of the back of his neck, they stitched up where it came out" said Frieda.

British Tyler Christopher, 25, is critically ill after having both of his legs amputated and also suffered serious arm injuries in the blast in Helmand Province. It is thought he was caught up in the same incident involving an improvised explosive device which claimed the lives of three more British soldiers yesterday. They have not yet been named.

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