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


Tuesday, November 6, 2012

War News for Tuesday, November 06, 2012


Shenandoah soldier killed in Afghanistan


Reported security incidents
#1: In central Maidan Wardak, a rebel leader was killed along with five associates in an airstrike by foreign troops in Chak district on Sunday night, the governor's spokesman said.

#2: Elsewhere in the province, two workers of the attorney office and telecommunication department were shot injured by gunmen in the Deh Muslim village of Nirkh district.

#3: In southern Ghazni province, two insurgent commanders and as many Pakistani rebels were killed during infighting in Ander district, Intelligence Director Amir Shah Sadat said.

#4: One teacher was killed and another injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a vehicle in the Surkhrod district of eastern Nangarhar province on Sunday night, said the education department spokesman, Asif Shinwari.

#5: A policeman and two attackers were killed in an exchange of fire between near Shamshato check post in Peshawar Tuesday, FP News desk reported. According to police, two parties were having a clash and exchange of fire in the vicinity of Armar police station near Shamshato check post when the police intervened.

#6: Afghan forces and the NATO-led coalition troops have killed up to 15 Taliban militants in different operations within the last 24 hours, the Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs said Tuesday morning. "Afghan National Police (ANP) supporting by army and the NATO- led coalition troops have killed 15 armed Taliban insurgents in 12 cleanup operations in Laghman, Kapisa, Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Ghazni and Khost provinces within the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement.

#7: A heavy explosion rocked northern Baghlan province of Afghanistan early Tuesday morning. According to reports the incident took place in Central Baghlan district at the Sugar Factory City after an improvised explosive device planted on a roadside went off. He said only one municipality worker was critically injured following the blast and was taken to hospital for treatment purposes.


DoD: Staff Sgt. Dain T. Venne

DoD:  Spc. Ryan P. Jayne

DoD: Spc. Brett E. Gornewicz
 

Posted by whisker at 3:55 AM

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