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, December 15, 2012

War News for Saturday, December 15, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of a USFOR-A soldier from non-combat related injuries in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, December 14th.


Last French combat troops quit Afghanistan

Karzai wants NATO forces to leave Afghan villages

Soldier killed at Fort Hood after firing at officers


Reported security incidents
#1: Unknown armed men opened fire and set ablaze an oil tanker in Baghlan province 160 km north of Kabul on Saturday, police said. “Unidentified armed men targeted an oil tanker with assault rifle in Dushi district today morning burning the oil tanker,” Deputy to provincial police chief Sayed Zaman Hussaini told Xinhua.

#2: Five Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were killed in different areas of country over the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Defence said on Saturday. Four soldiers were killed in the Bala Baluk district of western Farah province and one in the Kajaki district of southern Helmand, a statement from the ministry said. At least one soldier was wounded in the Zherai district of southern Kandahar province. The causalities resulted from a roadside bombing and militant attacks.

#3: Taliban and police claimed inflicting casualties on each other after a clash in Doaab district of Nuristan province Friday. Taliban attacked two police check posts near the headquarters of Doaab district before noon, killing a police commander, Faqir, and wounding two more cops, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Afghan Islamic Press. He said Taliban captured the posts and took with them eight arms and ammunition. Provincial police chief Ghulamullah Nuristani confirmed the attack to AIP but said only two cops were wounded during the clash. He said police returned fire, killing three Taliban, adding no check post fell to Taliban.

Posted by whisker at 5:26 AM

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