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, June 15, 2013

War News for Saturday, June 15, 2013


Reported security incidents
#1: A roadside bomb struck a police van in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing five police as they were on their way to a training session, authorities said. Seven other police were wounded in the early morning blast in Paktika province, a statement from the provincial governor's office said.

#2: An Afghan border protection police officer was killed following cross-border shelling by Pakistan in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan on Friday. Pakistani military started shelling Maruf district in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan on Friday afternoon, 1TV News reported. Provincial security chief Gen. Abdul Razaq said a civilian worker was killed and two Afghan border police officers were injured after a missile hit an Afghan check post.

#3: Five Taliban militants were killed and two coalition security forces were injured following clashes in central Maidan Wardak province of Afghanistan, local officials said. provincial security commandment following a statement confirmed the report and said the clashes took place on Thursday in Syedabad district.

Posted by whisker at 4:46 AM

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