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


Thursday, March 14, 2013

War News for Thursday, March 14, 2013


U.S. General Puts Troops on Security Alert After Karzai Remarks


Reported security incidents
#1: Six Taliban fighters and a policeman were killed in Sangin district of Helmand province yesterday, officials said Wednesday. On the occasion, the Sangin police chief Shamsullah told reporters the Taliban attacked a police patrol in Charkhakano Manda area, two kilometres from Sangin's district headquarters, late yesterday. Six Taliban fighters, including their commanders Mullah Shah Wali and Mullah Abdul Wali, and a cop were killed and two more policemen sustained injuries in the gunfight, he added.

#2: At least 16 militants were killed and 12 others were injured in fresh clashes between banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Ansarul Islam in Maidan area of Tirah valley in Khyber Agency, tribal sources said on Wednesday. The sources said that over 299 fighters of TTP descended from Drey Stani hilltop, bordering the Kukikhel area, to Narkhaw area populated by Qambarkhel Afridi tribe in Ansarul Islam-controlled Maidan part of the valley on Tuesday evening and occupied two dozens of houses. Subsequently, around 600 volunteers of AI from different parts of Maidan moved to Narkhaw and launched the counter-attack. The sources said the fighting between the groups was going on till filling of this report. They said that 10 TTP militants and six volunteers of AI were killed and 12 others from both sides were injured.

#3: Casualties were feared Wednesday evening as a suicide bombing went off in an area where Afghan national game of Buzkashi was held in the northern Afghanistan province of Kunduz, local media reported.

#4: national directorate of security (NDS) officails announced at least five Haqqani network militants were during a gun battle in capital Kabul on Wednesday.



Posted by whisker at 4:42 AM

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