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 27, 2012

War News for Tuesday, November 27, 2012


Reported security incidents
#1: Afghan forces backed by the NATO-led troops killed eight Taliban militants in Laghman province 90 km east of Kabul on Tuesday, spokesman for provincial administration said. "In the operation launched early morning in some villages outside provincial capital Mehterlam, and lasted for a few hours, eight Taliban rebels were killed and four others injured," Sarhadi Zawak told Xinhua. There were no casualties on security forces, he said. Meantime, Taliban purported spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in talks with media via telephone from unknown location confirmed the fighting but added only one Taliban fighter was killed in the firefight

#2: Four people were killed and two others wounded in a landmine blast and firing incidents in Bolan and Dera Bugti districts of Balochistan, on Monday. According to Levies officials, a landmine exploded in a village in Shuran area of Bolan district which killed two persons on the spot and seriously injured another.  "The deceased were riding a motorbike when it drove over a landmine which exploded with a huge blast, destroying the motorbike," Levies official said.

#3: Meanwhile, a man was killed in Kurdan area of Dera Bugti district. According to reports, the man was on his way along with his camel when he hit a landmine in Kurdan area. Resultantly, he and his camel died on the spot.

#4: Defence ministry on Monday said six Afghan National Army (ANA) troops were killed and 10 more wounded during separate hostile incidents over the past 24 hours. The ANA troops were killed and wounded in explosions and direct attacks while discharging security responsibilities in Ghazni, Helmand, Uruzgan, Wardak and Faryab province, the defence ministry said in a statement. It said two anti-government gunmen were killed by combined force in Charchino district of Uruzgan while three suspects were detained in Kandahar city and Muhammad Agha district of Logar province, adding the security force also recovered 450 kg of explosions in Narkh district of Wardak province. Meanwhile, two police among six persons were wounded in two back-to-back bomb explosions in Haska Maina district of eastern Ningarhar province this morning, sources said Monday. A roadside bomb exploded near a police vehicle in Baghiband Kandao area of Haska Maina at about 7:30 a.m. (local time), injuring two police, security forces told Afghan Islamic Press (AIP). The sources said another bomb went off in the same area when people gathered there to assist police, adding four civilians were wounded in the second blast.

Posted by whisker at 4:11 AM

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