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, March 13, 2012

War News for Tuesday, March 13, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from a non-combat related injury in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Monday, March 12th.


Murder in Afghanistan, the Coverup Begins (updates)

NATO losing war on drugs in Afghanistan

U.S. Officials Debate Speeding Afghan Pullout


Reported security incidents
#1: Taliban militants have opened fire on an Afghan government delegation visiting a village in southern Afghanistan where 16 civilians were killed. The delegation was with families of the victims in Balandi village when they heard shooting, said Qayum Karzai, a brother of the Afghan president who was part of the group. He said he did not believe anyone was killed in the attack. However, a policeman was reportedly shot in the foot.

#2: Afghan Interior Ministry on Tuesday announced at least 2 armed insurgents were killed and 7 others were detained following military operations by Afghan National Police. According to a statement issued by the Afghan Interior Ministry, the militants were killed during 5 separate military operations conducted by Afghan National Police during the past 24 hours. The operations were conducted in conjunction with the Afghan National Army, Afghan Intelligence and International Coalition Security forces at Kabul, Helmand, Uruzgan, Logar and Khost provinces of Afghanistan.


Pakistan:
#1: A suspected U.S. drone strike killed five alleged militants in Pakistan's tribal region bordering Afghanistan on Tuesday, two intelligence officials said. The suspected drone fired two missiles on a vehicle, carrying suspected militants, in the area of Shawal in North Waziristan, one of the seven districts of Pakistan's volatile tribal region bordering Afghanistan, the officials said.

#2: Militants threw a grenade and then opened fire at a meeting of tribal elders and local officials in the town of Mir Ali in the North Waziristan tribal region, killing at least three people, including a senior local official, security officials said.

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