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


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

War News for Wednesday, June 12, 2013


Two Georgian military bases closed in Afghanistan


Reported security incidents

#1: A motorcycle bomb killed an Afghan soldier and a civilian Wednesday and wounded 15 other people in southern Afghanistan, officials said, according to The Associated Press. The blast was near a market in Helmand province's heavily contested Sangin district, local police chief Ghulam Ali said, adding that three soldiers, one local police officer and 11 civilians were among the wounded.
 
#2: Militants in eastern Afghanistan attacked a NATO convoy carrying supplies on Tuesday night, killing two Afghan police officers and two truck drivers, provincial deputy police chief Asadullah Insafi said.
 
#3: Three insurgents were also killed in the attack in the eastern province of Ghazni, Insafi said.
 
#4: A Taliban suicide car bomber yesterday targeted staff at Afghanistan’s top court, killing 15 civilians and wounding 40 others in the second attack in two days in the heavily fortified capital, police said. Women and children were among those killed and injured in the powerful explosion at the entrance to the Supreme Court, near the US embassy as buses waited to take court staff home at the end of the working day, officials said.
 
#5: Eight insurgents had been killed and 14 detained in military operations since early Tuesday, the NATO- led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Wednesday morning. "Afghan National Security and Coalition Forces killed eight enemies of Afghanistan, detained 14 suspected enemies of Afghanistan and found and safely cleared nine improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours," the ISAF's Regional Command-East said in a press statement. The operations were conducted in eastern Paktiya, Paktika, Nangarhar, Wardak and Ghanzi province, the statement noted.
 
#6: The 4th Special Operations Kandak of the Afghan National Army Special Forces and Afghan National Army soldiers killed seven armed insurgents and reduced homemade explosives in Bala Baluk district, Farah Province, June 10. The combined forces were conducting a cordon and search operation to deny insurgents a safe haven in Shewan village. Insurgents attacked the Commandos and ANA with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.
 
#7: According to reports a NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) helicopter made an emergency landing in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan. Officials in Kandahar provincial governor office confirmed that the helicopter made emergency landing. In the meantime Taliban group claimed that the helicopter was shot down by Taliban fighters. International Secrurity Assistance Force (ISAF) confirming the report said, “A coalition aircraft conducted a hard landing in southern Afghanistan today. Currently no casualties have been reported.”

Posted by whisker at 4:21 AM

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