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


Thursday, August 15, 2013

War News for Thursday, August 15, 2013


At least 33 killed in series of Baghdad bombings - police


Reported security incidents
#1: According to police sources, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Qasim Ghauri and two assistant sub-inspectors were martyred when an encounter took place in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area near Safari Park. Two other policemen were also injured during the action.

#2: A French soldier was found dead earlier this month at the airport of Kabul in Afghanistan, bringing the total fatalities in the restless country to 89 since 2001, according to local media report. Citing a military source, French daily Le Figaro said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the serviceman's death which was neither "the result of an attack nor a death during a fighting." The French soldier was found dead on Aug. 5 but the Defense Ministry declined to announce it in order not to disrupt the inquiry, according to the source.

#3: One Taliban commander was killed and seven others including five Taliban fighters and two policemen sustained injuries as clash erupted in Germ district of Badakhshan province 315 km northeast of Kabul on Thursday, a police official Sayed Jahangir Karamat said. The clash, according to the official, occurred early morning in Pul-e-Maghal area of Germ district when a group of Taliban militants attacked a police checkpoint and police returned fire killing Taliban commander Mullah Gulbudin and injuring five others. Two policemen were also injured in the firefight that lasted for a while.

#4: At least 16 people were killed or injured following an explosion in north-eastern Takhar province of Afghanistan on Wednesday afternoon. According to local government officials, the incident took place in Khwajah Bahauddin district and targeted a convoy of the Afghan national police vehicles.

Posted by whisker at 4:57 AM

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