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, February 23, 2012

War News for Thursday, February 23, 2012

NATO is reporting the deaths of two ISAF soldiers from a small arms/gunfire attack by an ANA soldier in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, February 23rd. This is an update from an earlier ISAF release.


Four Afghans killed on the third day of protests

BBC: In pictures: Protests against US burning of Koran

Afghan Protests Over Burning of Korans Spread for 3rd Day

Damage Control (Again) in Afghanistan

U.S. base in Afghanistan attacked over Qur'an burning

More than 50 killed in wave of bombings across Iraq -- The majority of attacks, which were carried out with car bombs and small arms, appeared to target security forces in the capital and other cities, authorities said. At least 52 people were killed and more than 220 people were wounded, according to death tolls provided by local security officials.

Security developments in Iraq, Feb 23 -- 30 attacks listed


Reported security incidents
#1: American forces have killed an Afghan soldier amid the intensifying nationwide protests in Afghanistan against the desecration of the Holy Qur’an by US-led forces, Press TV reports. The Afghan soldier was shot dead by American troops in Laghman province on Thursday.

#2: At least 15 militants were killed and several injured when airforce jets bombed suspected hideouts of miscreants in upper Orakzai agency on Thursday. Official sources said that the aircraft bombed the hideouts of militants in various areas of Upper Orakzai Agency including Bermela, Khadizai, Mamozai, Samabazar and adjoining areas destroying four hideouts of the militants. They said that jets were sent to bomb hideouts of the militants after intelligence reports that militants from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) led by TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud, were hiding in the mountainous region bordering Afghanistan.

#3: A car bomb ripped through a Pakistani bus station on Thursday, killing 12 people, including two children on the outskirts of the north-western city of Peshawar, officials said. The attack happened on the road towards the garrison city of Kohat near the lawless tribal belt, a stronghold of Taleban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants blamed for violence plaguing both Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan.

#4: According to local authorities in eastern Afghanistan, unknown armed militants beheaded an Afghan journalist in eastern Paktika province. The officials further added, the Afghan journalist working in a local Radio station was beheaded by unknown gunmen in Orgon district of eastern Paktika province. Provincial Security Chief for eastern Paktika province Gen. Dawlat Khan Zadran confirming the report said, the dead body of the Afghan journalist was found this morning.


DoD: Sgt. Allen R. McKenna Jr.

It/MoD: Caporal Maggiore Capo Scelto Francesco CurrĂ²

It/MoD: Caporal Maggiore Scelto Luca Valente

IT/MoD: Caporal Maggiore Scelto Francesco Paolo Messineo

9 comments:

Dancewater said...

Press TV cannot be trusted. They make shit up all the time.... so the story linked in this post may be true... or may be not.


A few weeks back Press TV said there were 12,000 US troops in Libya. Clearly not true.

Dancewater said...

CBS News is reporting that the two ISAF soldiers killed were Americans, and it was due to the Koran burning.

Two U.S. troops have been shot to death and four more wounded by an Afghan solider who turned his gun on his allies in apparent anger over the burning of Korans at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, an Afghan official tells CBS News.

Dancewater said...

Afghan police sympathize with protesters

I think the US/NATO forces better stay away from the Afghan police too.

Dancewater said...

“Those behind the act should be asked about their deed and must be punished,” said an officer near a U.S. military base in Kabul. “If I find the opportunity, I would shoot them in the head.”

Dancewater said...

US rice farmers prove they don't know their ass from a hole in the ground

The talk of the day among Ray Stoesser and other rice farmers is Iraq’s decision not to buy U.S. rice, a stinging move that adds to a stressful year punctuated by everything from drought to unusual heat.

Stoesser and other farmers know Iraqis struggled during the U.S. invasion and subsequent occupation. They know most countries — and people — buy based on price.

But at the moment, with production costs rising, export markets shrinking and rice prices dropping, it’s difficult to be rational and suppress emotions so intimately intertwined with their land and livelihood.

“That’s just not right,” the 63-year-old Stoesser fumed. “If we’ve got some rice to sell, they ought to pay a premium for it just because this is the country that freed them.”

Dancewater said...

yes, those Iraqis STILL do not appreciate our freedom bombs!!!!

Dancewater said...

just like those folks in NYC do not appreciate their skyline improvement on 9-11-01.

Dancewater said...

Another horrific day in Iraq.

It makes me very sad.

The US rice farmers can go jump in a damn lake.

Dancewater said...

Every day, 400 Afghans join the ranks of the displaced in Afghanistan

They number of a half million in total. And many of them are freezing and starving.