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, January 24, 2012

War News for Tuesday, January 24, 2011

Christopher D. Bordoni, 21, was wounded in an attack involving a suicide bomber while serving in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, according to a statement from his family. He was sent to a hospital in Germany, and was recently transferred to the San Antonio Military Medical Center to receive treatment, according to the statement. According to his family, Bordoni was on patrol in the Kajaki district when a suicide bomber on a motorcycle entered the area. It was reported that several civilians, military personnel and police were injured and killed, according to the family's statement.

FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, January 24


Reported security incidents
#1: At least five insurgents have been killed as Afghan forces and NATO-led Coalition troops conducted operations in eastern Afghanistan region, the NATO-led forces said on Tuesday. "Afghan and Coalition Forces killed five insurgents and detained eight suspected individuals in eastern Afghanistan during operations throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 23," the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a press release. "A coalition airstrike killed five insurgents after troops positively identified them with weapons in Tagab District, Kapisa Province," it said.

#2: A fresh drone attack carried out by the American CIA in North Waziristan Agency Monday morning killed 6 people. Reports reaching here said a few predator planes, in a third missiles hit after Mohmand tragedy, targeted a vehicle in Degaan area some 30 kilometers west of Miran Shah the headquarters of North Waziristan agency Monday early morning destroying the vehicle completely. “The American planes hovering in the skies for quite some time fired many missiles at a vehicle heading towards Datta Khel area from Tehsil Degaan and the vehicle was seen in high flames where as a nearby house was also damaged”. Sources told Observer adding as many as six people on board the vehicle were found dead. Some official sources said those killed were the fugitives and hailed from Turkmenistan. “They did not appear to be the local militants”. The people of the area said and added that three drones were hovering in the skies when the attack took place

Posted by whisker at 2:57 AM

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