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


Sunday, June 10, 2012

News of the Day for Sunday, June 10, 2012

As it is confirmed that four NATO troops killed by a suicide bomber on Saturday were French, new French president Francois Hollande dispatches his defense minister to Afghanistan and vows to begin withdrawing French troops next month. Of five soldiers who were also wounded in the attack in Kapisa province, three are in critical condition.

Following the death of 18 civilians in a NATO airstrike in Logar province on Wednesday, president Karzai summons NATO commander John Allen to the presidential palace. Karzai says the action was in violation of the strategic agreement between NATO and Afghanistan; Allen pledges that NATO will no longer conduct air strikes on Afghan homes.

Taliban order schools closed for three days in Baraki Barak, the district where the fatal air strike happened. Most schools did close in response to the order.

A civilian is killed in Kunar province in a barrage of 20 rockets, which the provincial governor and residents say were launched from across the border by the Pakistani military. "Residents of eastern Kunar province believe that Pakistan is trying to foment insecurity in the country. Parliamentary members from the neighboring province of Nangarhar joined the cause Kunar residents, saying that according to Afghanistan's long term strategic agreement with the US and other western countries, it was their duty to help defend Afghanistan against outsiders' attacks." Note: The United States heavily finances the Pakistani military. -- C

Fire that destroys a school in Kabul is believed to be arson.

A Pakistani woman is held in connection with poisoning of schoolgirls in Takhar province. She was working as a physician but may have been doing so fraudulently. Now that's kinda strange. -- C

U.S. sets up a radio station in Kunar province, allows uncensored political discussion by callers.




12 comments:

Dancewater said...

He's lying: "Allen pledges that NATO will no longer conduct air strikes on Afghan homes."

The ONLY way to stop them is to get ALL troops out of Afghanistan and to shut down the drone bombing program completely.

But the American people are far too blood-thirsty and IMMORAL to make that happen..... so their psychopath politicians and psychopath military will continue to kill little children, again and again and again and again and again.

And someone is sure to make excuses for them... by saying "shit happens in war".....

NO, "SHIT" DOES NOT HAPPEN IN WARS OF AGGRESSION - CRIMINAL AND EVIL BEHAVIOR HAPPEN AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.

We have so much in common with Hitler, just on a smaller scale.

Anonymous said...

Go ahead, feel free to put our military down. My son fights so that you can have the freedom to do so.

Dancewater said...

Your son's fighting has nothing to do with my freedom if he is outside the USA.

And I mainly blame the politicians and the American people for all this evil.

Dancewater said...

and,when your son is done pretending he is "fighting for our freedom" I would like to suggest that he start fighting for medical care and compensation for the Marines and their families who drank and bathed and cleaned with the POISONOUS WATER AT CAMP LEJUENE for decades.

They could use some help, and he would actually be doing something useful.

And tell him for me that if the US military does not care if they poison their own Marines and their families, they sure as fuck don't care about foreign civilians or what happens to them.

I hear they use the word "fuck" a lot in the military, so I thought I would too. It shows you are macho, I think.

Anonymous said...

I take it that you arent't an American!

Anonymous said...

Oh is that what makes you macho? Well I guess that my son isn't macho then. He has respect. And yes my son cares about his brothers in arms and the ones before them. What do you think he's doing it for the money? The benefits? Have you ever been to war? Have you heard that they will tell you that there is no taliban in their home and after they turn to walk off be shot at or blown up? Or were you under the impression that the taliban wore signs around their necks? Some of these innocent people are not as innocent as you may believe. Karzai doesn't want our troops out of there. And neither does Obama.

Anonymous said...

Does that mean that you are not an American?

Dancewater said...

Karzai has said repeatedly that he wants troops out of Afghanistan. And Obama is planning to end our occupation of Afghanistan - or at least he says so.

Tell your son that in the USA he does not worry that much about people shooting at him. It happens sometimes, but it is not because he is part of an evil foreign occupation.

And I agree that THOSE WHO PICK UP WEAPONS ARE NOT INNOCENT. This is especially true if they are in a foreign country.

Anonymous said...

Why don't you go to that foreign country and help them if your so worried about what our country is doing to them?

Dancewater said...

Anonymous said...

Why don't you go to that foreign country and help them if your so worried about what our country is doing to them?

BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT AMERICANS THERE!!

Anonymous said...

I WOULD HAVE NEVER GUESSED THAT YOU WERE AN AMERICAN.

An American said...

Dancewater is not an American. You don't talk down about the men and women who give their lives fighting for their country, your country, and call yourself an American. You don't deserve too. Although I am sure I am not the first one to tell you that nor will I be the last. Disgusting....