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, October 22, 2013

War News for Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The DoD is reporting the death of Lance Cpl. Christopher O. Grant who died in an insurgent attack somewhere in Helmand province Afghanistan on Sunday, October 20th. 


Amnesty criticises US drone strikes

The Afghan dead find a list


Reported security incidents
#1: Eight Taliban militants were killed and five others injured in joint operation launched by Afghan security forces and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF) during the past twenty-four hours in different regions of the country. The statement added that the operations took place in Nuristan, Kunar, Kandahar, Zabul, Paktia and Helmand provinces.

#2: A man in police uniform opened fire and killed three policemen in southern Kandahar province, a former Taliban stronghold on Monday evening, the provincial administration said Tuesday. The deadly attack took place in Nalgham area of Jalai district on Monday night and the attacker escaped after killing three policemen, said provincial administration spokesman Jawed Faisal.


DoD: Lance Cpl. Christopher O. Grant

Posted by whisker at 4:27 AM

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