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, November 3, 2012

War News for Saturday, November 03, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, November 1st.


Two Afghan intelligence officials missing in the U.S.


Reported security incidents
#1: Police say a suicide bomber has blown himself up near a vehicle carrying the regional head of an anti-Taliban militia in northwest Pakistan, killing him and five others. Senior police officer Akhtar Hayyat says several people were also wounded in Saturday's attack in the district of Buner in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He says Fateh Khan, who is head of the local anti-Taliban militia, was killed along with three guards and two passers-by.

Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/11/02/2306208/gunmen-kill-18-in-bus-attack-in.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/11/02/2306208/gunmen-kill-18-in-bus-attack-in.html#storylink=cpy

#2: Officials say a roadside bombing in southern Afghanistan has killed a district police chief. Ahmadulah Nazik, who is the administrator of Dand district in Kandahar province, said Rahmatullah Khan died today while trying to reach a police outpost under Taliban attack.

#3: The killing comes a day after four policemen were shot dead in southern Helmand province by their own colleagues. Taliban spokesman Qari Jusuf Ahmedi said the killers fled and joined the guerrillas.

#4: The local officials of Kandahar said that armed Taliban killed a tribal influential in Panjwai district of Kandahar province. Fazel Ahmad Ishqzai governor of Panjwai district was abducted from Perwan area of that district two days back and later on, his death body has founded from a house in Perwan area. Jaweed Faisal in charge of press office of Kandahar confirmed killing of this tribal influential, said police started investigation in this regard.

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