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


Thursday, January 6, 2011

War News for Thursday, December 06, 2011

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, January 5th.

NATO is reporting the death of another ISAF soldier from an IED attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, January 5th.


Anti-U.S. Cleric Returns to Iraq, and to Power

U.S. to send 1,400 extra troops to Afghanistan: report

US suspends contractors in Afghanistan


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: “A sticky bomb was detonated in al-Qadissiya neighborhood near the train station in western Baghdad, killing a civilian and injuring another one,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: “Another bomb, stuck to a civilian car, exploded in al-Aamel neighborhood, western Baghdad, injuring two civilians,” he added.

#3: Noting that a roadside bomb went off in Zayouna region, eastern Baghdad, injuring two policemen and one civilian.

#4: An armed group was arrested on Thursday for attacking the Baghdad International Airport. “Anti-terror department arrested on Thursday an armed group for launching missiles toward the Baghdad International Airport,” al-Iraqiya satellite channel said in a breaking news. “The arrest came after an airdrop by the anti-terror department,” it explained.


Kut:
#1: Police forces found on Wednesday two unknown bodies in eastern Kut, according to a police source. “The two corpses, belong to young man and woman, were found in Ghabat al-Karediya region, eastern Kut, and bore signs of gunshot wounds,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: One woman was killed in an armed attack on her house in western Kut, a police source said on Wednesday. “Unknown armed men attacked a house in al-Jihad neighborhood, western Kut, killing the woman using machine guns and fled to an unknown place,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Kirkuk:
#1: An anti-crime department element was wounded in a sticky bomb explosion in southwest of Kirkuk, a source from the joint coordination center said on Thursday. “A sticky bomb exploded late Wednesday targeting an anti-crime department element in al-Qadissiya region, southwest of Kirkuk, injuring him,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Unidentified persons have blown up a gas pipeline in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, which partially disrupted gas supply, officials said Thursday. A spokesman for the Sui Southern Gas company said the pipeline was located at Akhtar Abad area of Quetta, the provincial capital. A police officer said that the explosives were placed under the pipeline, which detonated between the night of Wednesday and Thursday.

Posted by whisker at 2:33 AM

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