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, July 25, 2012

War News for Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The DoD is reporting the death os a U.S. Sailor. PO2 Class Michael J. Brodsky died from an IED blast in Kandahar province on Saturday, July 21st.


The American empire and Pakistan

10 killed, 43 wounded in bomb attacks in Iraq


Reported security incidents
#1: Up to 13 Taliban insurgents have been killed and 33 captured in six cleanup operations carried out by Afghan police, army and the NATO-led coalition forces within the past 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said Wednesday. "The joint operations were conducted in Nuristan, Zabul, Wardak, Logar, Ghazni and Herat provinces and two other armed insurgents were wounded during the above raids," the ministry said in a statement providing morning operational updates to the media.

#2: A total of seven children were killed when a bomb, initially planted by insurgents to target security forces, went off in western Ghor province Tuesday afternoon.

#3: Defence ministry on Tuesday claimed that two anti-government gunmen were killed and seven Afghan soldiers were wounded during separate engagements and bomb attacks over the past 24 hours. Soldiers of Afghan National Army killed two gunmen and detained six others during an operation in Chahardara district of northern Kunduz province yesterday, the defence ministry said in a statement. adding seven ANA troops were wounded in separate gun and bomb attacks in Kandahar, Kunar and Helmand provinces.

#4: Twenty Afghan guards for the NATO led Australian forces have defected to the Taliban in southern Afghanistan after a dispute with the soldiers, local police say. "The Australian soldiers beat the Afghan guards after some verbal disputes in a military camp in Charchino district of Oruzgan province," district police chief Wali Dad said on Wednesday. The angry guards set the security towers on fire and defected to the Taliban, taking weapons and ammunition, he said. The defection occurred two days after a police chief and 12 of his men took weapons and joined the Taliban in western Farah province.


DoD: Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael J. Brodsky

DoD: Pfc. Julian L. Colvin

DoD: Staff Sgt. Richard L. Berry

DoD: Sgt. Eric E. Williams

Posted by whisker at 3:42 AM

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