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


Friday, September 28, 2012

War News for Friday, September 28, 2012


Reported security incidents
#1: A senior bomb disposal officer was killed on Friday as he attempted to defuse a device in Budh Bair area of Peshawar, Geo News reported. According to police, bomb squad veteran Hukam Khan, aged in his late 50s, successfully defused one device but was killed when a second one exploded as he tried to make it safe. Three police officers were wounded in the blast. "The bomb planted at the roadside exploded when Hukam Khan was trying to defuse it," a senior police officer in Peshawar told. An intelligence official said Khan defused the first improvised explosive device (IED) but was killed while attempting to defuse the second.

#2: A security official and five terrorists were killed when Taliban attacked a security checkpost in the Kadakard area on Thursday. According to sources, the checkpost was attacked by a large number of Taliban late on Wednesday. The clash between the terrorists and security personnel continued on Thursday, resulting in death of a security official and five attackers.

#3: Two persons were killed and 10 others wounded in a bomb blast in Musa Qala district, an official said Thursday. An explosive rigged motorcycle exploded in the Musa Qala district headquarters, leaving two civilians dead and 10 wounded, said Lalal Muhammad Ahamdi, head of Helmand governor's office.

#4: Several militants were killed in an operation in Khost province 150 km southeast of Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday, the NATO-led coalition forces said. "An Afghan-led security force, supported by coalition troops, killed a number of insurgents during an operation to arrest a Haqqani leader in Sabari district, Khost province today," the coalition said in a statement.

#5: four Taliban militants were killed and two others injured following a clash in Badakhshan province 315 km northeast of Kabul earlier Thursday. "Up to 50 Taliban militants hold a meeting to talk and convince locals to join them in Saghi village of Shuhadah district this morning but as arrival of the police forces they fled the area, leaving four dead and two injured behind following a short gunfight with the police," deputy provincial police chief, Sakhi Hidari, told Xinhua.

Posted by whisker at 3:44 AM

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