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


Sunday, January 12, 2014

News of the Day for Sunday, January 12, 2014

Six police are injured in Kabul in suicide attack on a bus. An unspecified number of civilian bystanders are also said to have been "lightly injured" when attacker on a bicycle sets off explosives next to vehicle transporting police from work.

Three employees of the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Directorate are kidnapped in Badghis province. This formerly relatively peaceful area has seen an increase in insurgent activity.

Nineteen insurgents said to renounce violence in western Herat. The government is depending on this amnesty program to further a broader peace process. Apparently, Taliban representatives have been holding secret talks in the UAE with Afghan government ministers, however officials of the High Peace Council say they are unaware of the talks.

Nevertheless, the Transparent Election Foundation of Afghanistan (TEFA) criticizes the security plan for the upcoming elections as "unrealistic" and demands better preparations.

Afghan Journalists Center says there were 84 cases of violence against journalists in 2013. "[G]overnment officials and security forces, Taliban and illegal armed groups were among the perpetrators of media violations."






Posted by Cervantes at 4:50 AM

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