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, November 2, 2012

War News for Friday, November 02, 2012


Pulling the U.S. drone war out of the shadows


Reported security incidents
#1: At least eight militants were killed in fresh clashes with security forces here on Thursday. Four hideouts of the suspected militants were destroyed in security forces' shelling. According to details, the security forces continued forward movement and search operations in different areas of Khyber Agency during which exchange of fire took place. During a search operation in Tirah Valley eight extremists were reported killed as security forces shelled suspected hideouts and destroyed them.

#2: Four Norwegian soldiers were injured and brought to hospital after their armoured vehicle hit a road bomb in Northern Afghanistan late Thursday. They were part of a coloumn of 7 vehicles with 25 troops which was on its way from Mazar-e-Sharif to Kabul when their SISU was destroyed by the bomb.

#3: At least eight people were killed and a dozen others injured when some unknown gunmen opened fire at a petrol station in Pakistan's southwest province of Balochistan on Friday afternoon, local media reported. Dunya TV reported that the incident happened at about 2:20 p.m. local time when an unknown number of gunmen targeted the fuel station as soon as a passenger van carrying 16 people stopped at the station for refueling in Khuzdar area, a main town located in the eastern part of the province. District Police Officer of Khuzdar said that following the firing incident, fire engulfed the whole petrol station and the passenger van. He said that a rickshaw and two motorbikes were also destroyed in the incident.


DoD: Cpl. Alex F. Domion

Posted by whisker at 3:46 AM

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