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, October 22, 2012

War News for Monday, October 22, 2012

The Australian DoD is reporting the death of an Australian ISAF soldier from an IED blast somewhere in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan on Sunday, October 21st. Here's the ISAF release.


Reported security incidents
#1: An Estonian infantryman received a light bullet wound in Afganistan over the weekend in a clash with insurgents. The man was airlifted to Camp Bastion, where he underwent surgery for a non-life threatening wound, reported ETV.

#2: During the past 24 hours, Afghan National Police, the Afghan National Army, National Directorate of Security (NDS) and Coalition Forces launched 11 joint clearance operations. According to a statement by the Afghan Ministry of Interior, 21 armed Taliban were killed and eight others were arrested during these operations. Operations were conducted in Kunduz, Uruzgan, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Farah, Ghor and Helmand provinces, the Ministry indicated.

At least four insurgents were killed in operations carried out by the Afghan forces and the NATO-led coalition troops in eastern provinces, the coalition confirmed on Monday. "Afghan and coalition forces killed four insurgents, and cleared three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours," the coalition's Regional Command-East (RC-East) said in a statement. The insurgents were killed in Qarah Bagh district, Ghazni province with Ghazni city as its capital 100 km south of Afghan capital Kabul, the statement said, adding that the ANSF and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Ghazni District.

#3: At least eight militants were killed and six others injured during an operation by security forces in Upper Orakzai Agency, officials said on Sunday. Security officials said that the forces conducted the operation in Mamoonzai and Khadzai area of the agency and destroyed four hideouts of the militants. "Eight militants were killed and six others were injured in operation," they added. Orakzai is the only northwestern tribal agency of the country which does not border Afghanistan. Officials said the bombardment has also destroyed several hideouts of terrorists.

#4: A roadside bomb struck a police van in Ismael Khil district of Khost province, 150 km southeast of Afghan capital Kabul, killing two police and wounding four others on Monday, a local official said. “The tragic incident happened at around 10:00 a.m. local time when police were on routine patrol. As a result two policemen including an officer were martyred and four others sustained injuries,” Wali Shah Humat the governor of Ismael Khil district confirmed to Xinhua.


DoD: Pfc. Shane G. Wilson

Posted by whisker at 2:55 AM

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