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, August 13, 2012

War News for Monday, August 13, 2012

The DoD is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier. Master Sgt. Gregory R. Trent died Wednesday, August 8th at the Bethesda Medical hospital. He was wounded from small arms fire in Baktabad, Shindand province, Afghanistan on Tuesday, July 31st.


US Navy ship collides with oil tanker in Gulf

Wounded soldier speaks of "fast, complex" attack

Cross-border shelling: 45 missiles fired in Kunar province


Reported security incidents
#1: NATO: Afghan policeman fires on coalition forces in 5th similar attack in a week; no deaths.

#2: An Afghan official says Taliban insurgents have killed a district mayor and a member of the provincial peace council in two attacks in northern Afghanistan. A spokesman for Takhar province says a remote-controlled roadside bomb exploded Monday morning. Five people died in the blast, including provincial peace councilor Mohammad Hashim and Abdul Aziz, the mayor of Ishkamesh district. Both were on their way to the provincial capital of Talagan when the bomb detonated as their vehicle passed. Three other people were killed in the explosion. Spokesman Faiz Mohammad Tawhedi says insurgent gunmen also attacked the convoy of the same district's police chief and chief administrator, sparking a battle on the road. He says two Taliban gunmen were killed in the fighting and another was captured. Both officials escaped harm.

#3: Ten suspected militants were killed and four others wounded when jet fighters bombed their hideouts in Mamozai area of Orakzai Agency on Sunday. Sources said that militants had recently taken control of Mamozai area in upper tehsil of the agency. On Sunday morning, security forces launched the air attack and carried out heavy bombing. The sources said that three hideouts were reduced to rubble by the bombing and 10 militants killed. The security forces later conducted a search operation in Kago Qamar and Doli areas and seized heavy weapons and ammunition. However, local Taliban spokesman Hafiz Saeed said that warplanes had only bombed empty houses and no one was killed.

#4: Two Pakistanis were killed in an attack by Nato helicopters in an Afghan area close to the border with Pakistan on Sunday evening. According to sources, the vehicle of Ghulam Farooq and Abdul Rashid of Noshki was attacked by Nato helicopter gunships in Safaar near the border with Chagai district. “The helicopters fired rockets which hit the vehicle and set it aflame about 5km inside Afghanistan,” the sources said Pakistani border officials were contacting their Afghan counterparts for repatriation of the bodies

#5: According to a statement released by defense ministry of Afghanistan, at least 8 Afghan national army service members were killed or injured following militants attacks during the past 24 hours. The statement further added the casualties include 3 dead and 5 injured service members who were killed or injured following militants attacks and roadside bomb explosion. Afghan defense officials following the statement also added the incidents took place in Logar, Paktiya, Maidan Wardak and Helamnd provinces of Afghanistan.

#6: An heavy explosion rocked eastern Nangarhar city early Monday morning. According to reports the incident took place in Jalalabad city near Eid Gah mosque. The exact number of casualties and the circumtances of the explosion is not clear so far.


DoD: Master Sgt. Gregory R. Trent

MoD: Lieutenant Andrew Chesterman

MoD: Lance Corporal Matthew David Smith

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