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


Saturday, June 23, 2012

War News for Saturday, June 23, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Friday, June 22nd.

NATO is reporting the death of another ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Friday, June 22nd.


Reported security incidents
#1: A soldier and at least five militants were killed in clashes between Taliban fighters and troops in Upper Dir area of northwest Pakistan, officials said today. The militants, who reportedly infiltrated into Pakistani territory from Afghanistan, attacked a security check post in the remote mountainous region of Karakar of Upper Dir district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province yesterday, security officials said. One soldier was killed and several others were injured in the exchange of fire. The Pakistani troops repulsed the attack and killed five militants. The other militants managed to escape, officials said.

#2: An Australian soldier suffered minor injuries after a helicopter made a hard landing during combat support operations in Afghanistan on Friday. The incident involving an Australian Ch-47 Chinook helicopter occurred at the Coalition Force Patrol Base in Kandahar province, while the aircraft was transporting personnel and equipment.

#3: The Afghan police and army, backed by NATO-led coalition troops, have eliminated 11 Taliban insurgents and detained 51 other suspects during 10 cleanup operations within the past 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said on Saturday. "The joint operations were conducted in Kabul, Nangarhar, Baghlan, Balkh, Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul, Khost, Paktia and Ghazni provinces during which seven other Taliban insurgents were injured, " the ministry said in a statement.

#4: According to local authorities in eastern Logar province, district police chief for Baraki Barak was killed following militants attack. Provincial governor spokesman Din Mohammad Darwish confirming the report said Baraki Barak district police chief Hazrat Mohammad was killed late Friday evening by Taliban militants in this province. Mr. Darwish further added one of the security guard of Hazrat Mohammad was killed and another one was critically injured following the incident. He also said at least two Taliban militants were killed following the clashes.

#5: According to local authorities in south-eastern Uruzgan province at least 3 Afghan civilians were killed and another civilian was injured following a roadside bomb explosion in this province.
A spokesman for provincial police chief Farid Ayel confirming the report said the incident took place late Friday evening after a civilian vehicle struck with a roadside bomb Chora district, killing 3 civilians and injuring another one.

#6: In a separate incident an Afghan local police officer shot dead another Afghan local officer and injured two others in this province early Saturday morning. Farid Ayel provincial police chief spokesman Farid Ayel said the police officer managed to flee the area after opening fire on his colleagues. A spokesman for the Taliban group Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the assailant police officer was a Taliban fighter.


DoD: Sgt. Jose Rodriguez

Posted by whisker at 3:30 AM

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does that mean there was no helicopter crash on the 23rd in Helmand Province, injuring Marine Kirsten Ennis?... It certainly smells like a case of Stolen Valor.

January 22, 2018 at 8:42 AM

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