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


Tuesday, April 28, 2009

War News for Tuesday, April 28, 2009

April 25 airpower summary:

Pipeline stretched from Halfaya to Missan:

Estonia Could Double Afghanistan ISAF Force - Ministry:

Nato warships begin exercise with Pakistan Navy:


Reported Security incidents:




Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: A clash between Taliban insurgents and police in the outskirts of Kabul claimed the lives of over a dozen people including a police officer, a press release of the Interior Ministry said Tuesday. "The clash occurred in Mosahi district outside Kabul city on Monday during which 12 rebels and a police officer were killed," the press release said. It also said that the operation is continuing in the area to root out militants and ensure security for the citizens.

#2: Two civilians were killed and seven others, including five children, were wounded when a rocket hit a residential area in the Lashkar Gah district some 555 km (345) miles southwest of Kabul on Monday, a provincial official said. It was not immediately clear who had fired the rocket.

#3: A roadside bomb killed five Afghan police as they conducted an operation against militants on Monday in Paktika some 150 km (95 miles) south of Kabul, the interior ministry said.

#4: Fighter jets began bombing Taliban hide-outs in a district near the Pakistani capital Tuesday, a military spokesman said, signaling an expansion of an offensive against militants seemingly emboldened by a controversial peace deal. Ground troops also are preparing to enter Buner district, said Maj. Nasir Khan, adding there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Posted by whisker at 3:27 AM

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