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


Tuesday, June 4, 2013

War News for Tuesday, June 04, 2013


Red Cross to withdraw foreign staff from Afghanistan following attack


Reported security incidents
#1: An Afghan family's car struck a bomb buried in a road in the country's west on Tuesday and the father and three children were killed, an official said. The father and children were killed instantly, and the mother was critically injured in the explosion, said Abdul Rahman Zhawandai, spokesman for the western province of Farah.

#2: At least four people were killed, including two security personnel and two others sustained injuries in a remote controlled bomb blast and firing incidents in district Mastung and Quetta, on Monday. According to sources, a vehicle of security forces was attacked with a remote-controlled device at Ispilinji area of Mastung district, adjacent to Quetta. Resultantly, two security personnel identified as Sajid and Ghulam Qamar lost their lives on the spot and Abdul Hakeem and Ghulam Nabi sustained serious injuries.

#3: At least six people were injured in a grenade attack in Anantnag District of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. According to television channel reports, a police party was the target of the grenade attack launched by suspected terrorists. Out of the six injured, four were policemen, th report added.

#4: On Monday evening, a local elder and a member of local council in neighboring Zharay district were shot dead in provincial capital Kandahar city, 450 km south of Kabul. The attackers fled the scene shortly after they realized Shahista Gul was killed, a provincial government spokesman, Jawid Faisal, told Xinhua on Tuesday.


US/DoD: Spc. Ray A. Ramirez

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US/DoD: Pfc. Mariano M. Raymundo

Posted by whisker at 4:21 AM

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