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


Saturday, October 27, 2012

War News for Saturday, October 27, 2012



Reported security incidents
#1: Afghan police wiped out a suicide bomber when he tried to blow up a police hostel in the city of Baglan, in the north of the country. According to the Khaama Press online paper, the suicide bomber tried, on Friday night, to sneak into the building where guests had come to, to celebrate the Id al-Adha Muslim holiday. But the police, tipped off about the coming attack the day before, prevented him from detonating his explosive belt.

#2: At least nine militants were killed and eight others wounded in a raid by security forces in Khyber Agency on Friday, officials said. According to political administrators, security forces backed by helicopter gunships pounded suspected militant hideouts in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency, killing nine extremists and injuring several others. Five militant positions were also destroying in the shelling. Khyber Agency, northwest part of country borders Afghanistan was once stronghold of Pakistani Taliban, now army control most of the region.

#3: According to local authorities in western Farah province of Afghanistan, provincial intelligence — National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief was attacked by unknown gunmen in this province.

The officials further added the incident took place early Friday morning while provincial NDS chief Abdul Samad was attending Eid prayers. Provincial governor spokesman Abdul Rahman Zhwandai confirming the report said the assailant gunman has been arrested and an Afghan intelligence officer along with some civilians were injured following the attack


Posted by whisker at 5:36 AM

3 comments:

Dancewater said...

Bombings and attacks kill at least 40 across Iraq

Iraqi insurgents unleashed a string of bombings and other attacks primarily targeting the country’s Shiite community on Saturday, leaving at least 40 dead in a challenge to government efforts to promote a sense of stability by preventing attacks during a major Muslim holiday.

The bloodshed appeared to be the worst in Iraq since Sept. 9, when insurgents launched a wave of bombings and other attacks that left at least 92 dead in one of the country’s bloodiest days this year.

October 27, 2012 at 8:13 PM
Dancewater said...

Good luck to anyone in the path of the storm.

October 27, 2012 at 8:14 PM
Cervantes said...

Thanks. That would be me.

October 28, 2012 at 5:05 AM

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