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, July 2, 2013

War News for Tuesday, July 02, 2013

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from a non-combat related injury in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, July 2nd.


US military blocks access to Guardian website for troops in Afghanistan

Pakistan expects Iranian pipeline by 2014

23 die in suicide bombings in Iraq

981 killed in 163 bomb blasts across Pakistan in first half


Reported security incidents
#1: Afghan militants armed with explosives and firearms attacked a NATO compound just outside of Kabul early Tuesday, killing seven people and wounding several others, according to a high-ranking police official. The seven killed include four private security guards from Nepal, one Afghan guard and two Afghan truck drivers waiting to get inside the compound when the attack began. Kabul provincial Police Chief Mohammad Ayuob Salangi said the attack was carried out by four men, one of whom rammed an explosive-laden truck into the compound's gate. The others were wearing suicide vests, Deputy Chief of Police Dawoud Amin told USA TODAY. All four were killed in the explosion and subsequent gun battle.

#2: unidentified people kidnapped a government official in Quetta on Monday.  In another incident, armed men kidnapped a section officer of the Home Department from Sariab Road of Quetta.

#3: Two cops were killed when unknown gunmen open fire on a police check post in Pishtakhara area of Peshawar on Monday. As per details, armed attackers were riding on motorcycles when they opened fire on a police check post in Pishtakhara area. The two policemen were killed on the spot. A passerby was also injured in the firing.

#4: One policeman and three militants were killed Tuesday morning as Taliban launched an attack on Afghan Local Police (ALP) checkpoints in northern province of Kunduz, an official said. "Taliban militants numbered eight or 10 raided ALP checkposts in Pul-e-Ahmad Khan area of Dashti Archi district Tuesday morning. The gunbattle claimed the lives of one cop and three militants," district administrative chief Sheikh Saddrodin told Xinhua. The remaining militants fled as the ALP forces repelled the attack in the province 250 km north of national capital Kabul, he noted.

#5: In a separate development, three civilians were killed as a vehicle touched off an IED in western Farah province, 695 km west of Kabul, Monday evening, a provincial police spokesman Fawad Haskari said Tuesday.

#6: At least five Afghan civilians were killed in two separate incidents in western Farah province of Afghanistan late Monday evening. A spokesman for provincial security commandment, Ahmad Fawad Askari confirming the report said at least three Afghan civilians were killed on Monday night after their vehicle struck with a roadside bomb in Pusht-e-Koh district. In the meantime two other civilians were killed in unknown gunmen attack in Pusht-e-Koh district on Monday evening, provincial security commandment spokesman Ahmad Fawak Askari said.

3 comments:

riadee said...

Whisker, God bless you and your website. My husband is coming home from his third combat tour (this time from Afghanistan) and you have kept me up-to-date with what is going on there and I've known when to worry and when not to worry and now he's on his way home! Love you and God be with you. (I am sure that I'm not the only one that you've brought comfort to--so many thanks.)

Anonymous said...

My husband is still in Afghanistan and will be after the draw-down. I rely on your site daily to keep in touch with the truth of what is occurring. Since he cannot of course tell me anything. Thank you for you reliability and hard work.

Cervantes said...

Thanks for the kind words. Afghanistan is largely forgotten by the U.S. corporate media, alas.