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 22, 2013

War News for Thursday, August 22, 2013


NATO exports shoot up as ISAF exits Afghanistan


Reported security incidents
#1: A senior Taliban commander and three bodyguards have been killed by a roadside bomb in a remote region of northwestern Pakistan. Hafizullah Wazir, a journalist in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal district, told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal on August 22 that the bomb hit a vehicle carrying commander Ghulam Jan late on the previous day. Wazir said the incident happened in Mana, a village near Pakistan's western border with Afghanistan.

#2: The son of an Afghan police official was killed and three policemen injured Wednesday night in a suicide bombing in Laghkar Gah, the provincial capital of southern province of Helmand, the authorities said Thursday morning. "A militant detonated his explosive jacket at the gate of resident of Abdul Satar Noorzai, commander of 1st Battalion of the Afghan National Police (ANP), in Lashkar Gah at round 9:00 p.m. local time Wednesday, killing his teenage son and injuring three ANP cops," the provincial government spokesman Omar Zwak told Xinhua.

#3: At least 15 Taliban militants were killed and dozens others were injured following joint military opertions by AFghan national army and Afghan Local Police (ALP) forces in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan. According to local government officials, the operations were launched by Afghan army and Afghan Local Police (ALP) to clear the ara from militants activities. A spokesman for the provincial security department, Shamim Ahmad Noorzai said the operations were launched in Nad-e-Ali, Nawa and Marjah districts. Mr. Noori further added that Taliban militants suffered heavy casualties during the operations, but Afghan security forces did not suffer any casualties.

#4: National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief for Farah province survived a roadside bomb blast on Thursday morning. According to local government officials, the incident took place after a motorcycle packed with heavy explosives went off near the convoy of Gen. Abdul Samada, NDS chief of Farah province. Abdul Rahman Zhwandai, spokesman for Farah governor confirming the report said at least 16 people were killed or injured following the blast.

 

US/DoD: Master Sgt. George A. Bannar Jr.

 

Posted by whisker at 4:37 AM

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