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


Monday, September 20, 2010

War News for Monday, September 20, 2010

The British MoD is reporting the deaths of two British ISAF soldiers from a roadside bombing in the Lashkar Gah district, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Saturday, September 18th. Here's the ISAF release.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from a non-combat related cause in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, September 18th.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, September 18th.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in northern Afghanistan on Saturday, September 18th.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Monday, September 20th.


At least 23 soldiers killed in Tajikistan ambush

UK hands over violent Afghan district to U.S. troops


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: Two mortar rounds landed inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on Monday, but police did not say whether they caused injuries or damages. The Green Zone, formally known as the International Zone, houses Iraqi government offices and the U.S. Embassy.

#2: Elsewhere, a car bomb exploded at an Iraqi army patrol in southwestern Baghdad, wounding seven soldiers, police said.

A car bomb went off today targeting an Iraqi army patrol in the al-Saydiya neighborhood, southern Baghdad, wounding seven soldiers, and damaging one of the patrol’s vehicles in addition to a number of nearby buildings,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “Two roadside bombs went off in a synchronized way within the same car bombing location, wounding three civilians,” the source added.

#3: In addition, a roadside bomb went off near a police patrol in another southwestern Baghdad neighborhood, injuring two bystanders, police said.

Two civilians were wounded on Monday when a roadside bomb went off targeting a police patrol in southwestern Baghdad. “The blast took place on the major road through al-Amil neighborhood, southwestern Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#4-5: Two roadside bombs went off on Monday in western and southwestern Baghdad, leaving no casualties.

#4: “A roadside bomb went off today in the al-Bayaa neighborhood, southwestern Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#5: “A roadside bomb went off today in the al-Amiriya neighborhood, western Baghdad,” the source added.


Al Anbar Prv:
#1: A roadside bomb went off and killed a civilian and wounded three others, on Sunday, in northern Falluja, 50 km (32 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Four Polish servicemen sustained light wounds during motor attacks on the Warrior and Ghazni bases in south east Afghanistan where they were stationed, Saturday. Another soldier was hit when his unit was ambushed during a patrol.

#2: At least one paramilitary trooper was killed and another three injured on Monday morning as a group of militants attacked a check point in northwest Pakistan, local sources said. Sources said that unidentified militants attacked a security check point in Salaipatti of Bajaur, a tribal area near the border with Afghanistan.

#3: Afghan authorities said Sunday that they recovered the bodies of three election workers kidnapped Saturday during parliamentary balloting marked by violence and reports of widespread fraud. The election workers were abducted Saturday morning as they were taking ballots to a polling station in the northern province of Balkh, provincial spokesman Munit Ahmar said.

#4: A suspected U.S. drone fired three missiles at a house in northwestern Pakistan, killing five alleged militants in the 14th such attack this month — the most intense barrage since the airstrikes began in 2004. The house belonged to a local militant and was located in Datta Khel, a town in the North Waziristan tribal area.

#5: Four anti-government militants were killed as they came under air attack in the southern Ghazni province on Monday, police said. "Four Taliban rebels were busy in planting mines on a road in Arzo area when the international forces aircraft dropped a precious bomb, killing all on the spot early today," provincial police chief Zarawar Zahid told Xinhua. Arzo village is outside provincial capital Ghazni city which often used by security forces.

#6: Afghan and coalition forces killed five Taliban insurgents in northern Kunduz province on Sunday, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said.

#7: Four Afghan soldiers received injuries as their vehicle ran over a mine in the eastern Khost province on Monday, an army officer in the province said. "A mine planted by militants struck a vehicle of national army, wounding four soldiers slightly in Musa Khil district at 01:00 p.m. today," Mohammad Israr told Xinhua. The vehicle was carrying ballot boxes to the provincial capital Khost city when faced the blast, but there was no damage to the ballot boxes, he emphasized.


DoD: Spc. Deangelo B. Snow

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