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


Friday, May 10, 2013

War News for Friday, May 10, 2013


Reported security incidents
#1: At least three security personnel and nine militants were killed on Friday during armed clashes in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of Kurram Agency, local media reported. The clashes started after a group of militants armed with heavy weapons stormed a check post of security forces in Para Chamkani area of Kurram Agency, one of the country's restive tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, local media reported quoting official sources. The attack was so sudden that the security personnel could not retaliate quickly and militants killed three security personnel present at the check post. Soon after the attack the quick response force rushed to site and cordoned off the whole area along with a gunship helicopter hovering over the area. The surrounded militants opened fire at the forces besides throwing hand grenades and launching rockets at the forces to make the way to flee from the area. In the cross fire, nine militants were killed and eight others injured while some of them succeeded in running away.

#2: At least three people were killed and 10 others injured on Friday in a bomb blast that targeted an election office in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of North Waziristan, local media reported. According to the local Urdu TV channel Dawn News, the blast took place near an election office of a political party in the Khwaja Jan market of Mirnanshah, a main town of North Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan. The blast destroyed the election office and damaged a couple of nearby shops and killed three persons on the spot besides injuring 10 others.

#3: Taliban militants suffered heavy casualties during military operations in eastern Laghman province of Afghanistan, local officials said. Provincial security chief Gen. Fazal Ahmad Zhirzad confirming the report said at least fifteen Taliban militants were killed and around 20 others were wounded during the operations. The operations were launched by Afghan police forces with the support of coalition security forces, early Thursday morning in Gularam area in Alingar district and Mehtarlam city.

Posted by whisker at 4:22 AM

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

reminds me of the ARVN claims toward the end of vietnam war. all lies to get more amerikan money.

May 10, 2013 at 5:41 PM

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