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


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

War News for Wednesday, June 20, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, June 19th.


US killing of pakistani civilians by drones illegal: UN -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Jun 7 said the killing of civilians by the US assassination drones in Pakistan is illegal and in violation of human rights.


Reported security incidents
#1: A suicide bomber has killed at least four civilians in the eastern Afghan province of Khost, officials say. The attacker was targeting a military convoy belonging to Nato-led forces. An Afghan television channel said the blast happened as US troops were carrying out vehicle checks. There are no reports of any military casualties.

#2: Afghan national police in conjunction with the NATO-led troops have eliminated 17 anti- government militants across the country over the past 24 hours, Interior Ministry said in a statement released here on Wednesday. "Units of national police backed by army and the NATO-led coalition force have killed 17 armed rebels in Helmand, Zabul, Ghazni and Khost provinces over the past 24 hours," the statement stressed.

#3: According to local authorities in eastern Kunar province at least 21 militants were killed following NATO air raid in this province. Provincial governor spokesman Wasifullah Wasifi confirming the report said the air raid was conducted after coalition forces were engaged by militants at Wata Pur and Mangoi districts. Mr. Wasifi further added Afghan security forces and civilians did not suffer any casualties following the air raid.

#4: International Security Assistance Force in eastern regions of the country on Tuesday confirmed a coalition forces drone crashed in eastern Kunar province. ISAF media office in eastern Afghanistan said the drone crashed on Tuesday morning at Sarkano district in Ganjgal area.


DoD: Pfc. Jarrod A. Lallier

Posted by whisker at 3:04 AM

1 comments:

whisker said...

A suicide bomber killed 16 civilians and three foreign troops on patrol in the provincial Afghan capital of Khost on Wednesday, the US embassy and police said, in one of the deadliest attacks for weeks as the Western military prepares to pull out.

Three members of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and an Afghan interpreter were killed in Wednesday's bombing, US embassy spokesman Gavin Sundwall said in a statement. (Reuters)

June 20, 2012 at 9:40 AM

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