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, December 12, 2012

War News for Wednesday, December 12, 2012


Reported security incidents
#1: Two people were killed in separate incidents of violence that occurred in Mohmand and Khyber Agency. In Mohmand Agency, the incident took place when unidentified armed men attacked at a man associated with Peace Committee with hand grenade in Manzari Cheena area of Bai Zai tehseel, resultantly the person died on the spot. In Khyber Agency, a bomb exploded at Ghandi area of Jamrud tehseel, damaging a house. Meanwhile, A body was found near Takhta Beg Check Post.

#2: Units of Afghan police have killed nine Taliban militants and injured eight others during series of operations over the past 24 hours, Interior Ministry said in a statement released here Wednesday. The operations, according to the statement were conducted in Nangarhar, Laghman, Kapisa, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Nimroz provinces during which six more insurgents made captive. There were no casualties on police side, the statement asserted. Taliban militants are yet to comment.

#3: According to reports a NATO-led International Coalition Security Forces drone crashed in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan on Wednesday. The incident took place in Nava district early Wednesday.


DoD: Staff Sgt. Wesley R. Williams

Posted by whisker at 3:17 AM

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