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


Sunday, February 10, 2013

News of the Day for Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013

U.S. Marine General John Allen hands over command of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan to Marine General Joseph Dunford. The new commander will be responsible for an accelerated timetable for handing over responsibility to Afghan forces, and removing much of the U.S. and other foreign presence. (Note: The question of how many U.S. troops and support personnel will remain is not yet settled. Full withdrawal will probably not really happen. -- C)

As Gen. Allen departs, he says the establishing women's rights is key to preventing the Taliban from re-establishing Islamic radicalism in Afghanistan.

However, it seems they have a long way to go. A notorious prison in Kabul holds 196 women convicted of "moral crimes" such as adultery, many with their babies.

Pakistani party leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman makes a "private visit" to Qatar for talks with the Afghan Taliban, who have established a diplomatic office there. The U.S. is said to have been in communication with the Taliban Qatar mission to encourage negotiations with the Afghan government.

U.S. begins preparations for withdrawal  with the establishment of a staging area for military equipment north of the Hindu Kush.

In a somewhat confusing story, 100 workers at a private construction company are poisoned in Kabul. It is not clear whether this is sabotage, food poisoning from the company cafeteria, and industrial accident, or something else.

Mortar attack injures a district chief in Paktiya province.




Posted by Cervantes at 5:09 AM

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