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


Friday, December 20, 2013

War News for Friday, December 20, 2013


Reported security incidents
#1: Residents in Pakistan's troubled North Waziristan tribal region said Thursday that dozens of civilians were killed in an army operation following a suicide attack at a checkpoint, charges the Pakistani military rejected. Local residents said that more than 20 men, mostly truck drivers, were shot dead at a restaurant, while shelling claimed several more lives, including women and children, as the army responded to Wednesday's deadly attack on its nearby outpost.

#2: At least one person was killed and 15 others wounded when a bomb exploded in Balochistan province on Thursday, officials said. The incident happened in the Pashtunabad area on the outskirts of Quetta city, the capital of Balochistan province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan.

#3: Peshawar was rocked on Friday by an explosion in the Aijazabad area of Peshawar, a private news channel reported. According to police, unidentified men placed an explosive device outside a house in Aijazabad and fled away after which the explosion occurred. The house was partially damaged by the blast but no casualties have been reported in the incident.


DoD: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Randy L. Billings

DoD: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua B. Silverman

DoD: Sgt. Peter C. Bohler

DoD: Sgt. 1st Class Omar W. Forde

DoD: Staff Sgt. Jesse L. Williams

DoD: Spc. Terry K. D. Gordon

Posted by whisker at 4:26 AM

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)