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, May 8, 2012

War News for Tuesday, May 08, 2012

NATO is reporting the deaths of three ISAF soldiers from an IED blast in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, May 7th.


Reported security incidents
#1: Afghan soldiers and NATO - led coalition troops eliminated 22 Taliban militants in an operation in the country's eastern Paktika province Monday night, an Afghan army spokesman said Tuesday. "Afghan National Army (ANA) backed by coalition forces raided a Taliban hiding place in Nike district Monday night, killing 22 armed militants, "army spokesman Ajmal Zhwak said. He said no security force member was injured in the operation in the province, 155 km south of capital Kabul.


#2: Hamid Shakil says two men on a motorcycle opened fire on Shah Nawaz Khan on Tuesday outside his house in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province. Khan was deputy head of Baluchistan's Crimes Investigation Department, which works exclusively on cases dealing with terrorism and sectarian violence.

#3: Meanwhile, NATO is still investigating reports of an airstrike in Bala Murghab district of northwestern Badghis province that allegedly killed 14 civilians last Sunday.

#4: According to Afghan defense ministry officials at least 2 Afghan national army soldiers were killed following two separate incidents during the past 24 hours. The officials further added one of the Afghan national army soldier was killed following a roadside bomb explosion at Mohammad Agha district in eastern Logar province and the second soldier was killed at Syedabad district in central-eastern Maidan Wardak province.

#5: In the meantime Afghan interior ministry officials announced Afghan national police forces killed 8 Taliban militants and detained 5 others during joint military operations. Afghan interior ministry officials also added the militants were killed and detained in 4 separate military operations conducted by Afghan police, Afghan army, Afghan intelligence and coalition security forces. The operations were conducted at Kabul, Zabul and Paktia provinces of Afghanistan. Anti-government armed militant groups yet to comment regarding the operations.


DoD: Master Sgt. Gregory L. Childs

DoD: Sgt. John P. Huling

Posted by whisker at 4:05 AM

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