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


Monday, June 4, 2012

War News for Monday, June 04, 2012

The British MoD is reporting the death of a British ISAF soldier from small arms fire in the Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand Province, Afghanistan on Sunday, June 3rd. Here's the ISAF release.


Reported security incidents
#1: Rockets fired from a U.S. drone killed 15 people in northwest Pakistan intelligence officials said. The strike, the third in three days, targeted a militant hideout in the Hesokhel village of the North Waziristan tribal region, officials said.

#2: Unknown gunmen killed at least seven people including two policemen on Sunday afternoon when they opened fire at a shop in Pakistan's southwestern metropolitan of Quetta, official said.
According to the police officials, four miscreants armed with automatic guns riding on two motorcycles by hiding their faces with masks reached a shop at the Sirki road and opened fire at people present in the shop. In the result of the firing five people including the owner of the shop and his son were shot dead on the spot.

#3: Afghan police during series of operations across the conflict-ridden country have killed 20 armed militants and captured 13 others over the past 24 hours, Interior Ministry said in a press release on Monday. "The units of police backed by the army and the NATO-led forces have killed 20 armed insurgents and arrested 13 others over the past 24 hours," the press release added. Six more insurgents sustained injures, it further said. However, it did not say if there were any casualties on the security forces.
#4: Afghan defense ministry officials following a press release on Monday announced at least 15 Afghan national army soldiers were killed or injured following roadside bomb explosion and militants attack during the past 24 hours. The source further added 1 Afghan soldier was killed and 14 others were injured in Maidan Wardak, Logar, Paktia and Zabul provinces of Afghanistan.


DoD: Staff Sgt. Alexander G. Povilaitis

DoD: Spc. Kedith L. Jacobs

DoD: Pfc. Leroy Deronde III


Posted by whisker at 3:37 AM

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