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


Wednesday, November 28, 2012

War News for Wednesday, November 28, 2012

The AP is reporting a new death of a soldier supporting OEF. Spc. Zachary Shanafelt died at at Walter Reed Hospital, Bethesda Md. on Wednesday, November (21st. ?) from an apparent non-combat related injury while deployed to Combat Outpost Qaisar, near Qeysar, Faryab Province, Afghanistan. The Military has not confirmed this new death.


Report: Kabul Bank sent millions of dollars abroad


Reported security incidents
#1: At least 4 Afghan civilians were killed following a roadside bomb explosion early Wednesday morning in this province, local authorities in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan said. Provincial governor media office following a statement announced the incident took place in Nawzad district after a civilian vehicle struck with a roadside bomb.

#2: In a separate incident Taliban militants killed 5 Afghan civilians in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan. A spokesman for the provincial security commandment SherWaliSamim said Taliban militants abducted the five individuals on Tuesday night and killed them later.Taliban militants group yet to comment regarding the report.

“Taliban rebels abducted five members of local development council in Watapur district couple of days ago and after shooting them dead last night, handed their bodies over to the villagers this morning,” Samim told Xinhua. The local development council is a government-back body working with local administration on reconstruction field in rural areas.

#3: Meantime, the Afghan Interior Ministry in a statement released here Wednesday reported killing 27 Taliban fighters over the past two days. “Afghan National Police backed by the army and NATO-led coalition forces have killed 27 Taliban militants during series of operations conducted in Kabul, Laghman, Kunduz, Sar-e-Pul, Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan and Nangarhar provinces over the past 24 hours,” the Interior Ministry statement added.

Meanwhile, Afghan and foreign forces killed nine Taliban and detained six more in different operations throughout the past 24 hours, interior ministry said Tuesday, a claim rejected by Taliban as false. The combined force conducted operations in Kabul, Kunduz, Balkh, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Logar and Helmand provinces, killing nine anti-government gunmen and capturing six more, the interior ministry said in a press release.
#4: A bomb and gun attack killed three soldiers of Afghan National Army (ANA) and wounded four more in Maqur district of Badghis province this morning, an official said Tuesday. An ANA vehicle struck a landmine in Sang-e-Atash area of Maqur district at approximately 9:00 a.m. (local time), a government official in Badghis province told Afghan Islamic Press (AIP). He said Taliban gunmen attacked the ANA troops soon after the explosion, adding three Afghan National Army (ANA) troops were killed and four wounded in the bomb and gun attack.

#5: Another two soldiers were killed in northern Kunduz province, according to the statement, which said three soldiers were injured in southeastern Khost province. The injured were shifted to health facilities and their condition is said to be stable.

#6: According to local authorities in wester Herat province of Afghanistan, a NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) drone crashed in Pashtun Zarghoon district on Tuesday night. Provincial security chief Gen. Abdul Hamid Hamidi confirming the report said a drone belonging to NATO troops crashed in Taqcha and Taqanko area at Pashtun Zarghoon district which is under the control of the Taliban militants. He said the drone was busy with taking pictures of the area when the incident took place.

#7: According to reports Afghan national police forces clashed with each other in Central Baghlan district of northern Baghlan province late Tuesday evening. Provincial police chief Syed Zamanuddin Hussaini confirming the report said the incident took place after Central Baghlan district chief Amir Gul rejected the newly elected district security chief. He said the newly elected district security chief was about to be introduced to Afghan security forces but armed individuals loyal to Amir Gul attacked the party. Unconfirmed reports suggest at least two people were killed and a number of others were injured following the clashes. Clashes between the two sides are still going on and additional forces have been deployed in Central Baghlan district to control the security situation.


DoD: Cpl. Christopher M. Monahan Jr.

Posted by whisker at 4:54 AM

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