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, February 9, 2014

News of the Day for Sunday, February 10, 2014

Seven Afghan soldiers are killed by a roadside bomb in Farah province.

Kabul police claim to have arrested 22 criminals, an unspecified number of whom are "terrorists."

U.S. to announce a $300 million aid package to Afghanistan on Monday. The aid is intended to boost the Afghan economy as spending by foreign military forces and other international aid declines.

U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reports civilian casualties up 14% in 2013 from 2012. Although insurgents are said responsible for the majority of deaths, mostly from IEDs, civilian casualties resulting from military action increased 43% since Afghan forces took over most security responsibility. (Note that the reports from the Interior Ministry that we often link to here generally omit any mention of civilian casualties. However, the UN is apparently collecting information.) From Wakht:

"Civilian harm caused by Afghan forces needs to be addressed. They are supposed to be the protectors of the Afghan people,” said Sahr Muhammedally, Senior Legal Advisor for the Center for Civilians in Conflict. “Over the past decade, international forces have found ways to reduce civilian harm and respond to casualties when they do occur. Afghan forces need to work with them to learn ways to better save lives and dignify losses.”

In a 2013 report, the Center identified problems with the government’s response to civilian harm, including how it conducts investigations and assists civilians caught in the conflict. Subsequent interviews show that political interference and corruption both at the local and national level influence investigations.
 Wakht's report on the UNAMA report is here. Since ISAF became much less active in 2013, civilian casualties caused by coalition forces are of course way down. But that just reminds us that they were substantial when ISAF was aggressively fighting. Note that ISAF claims 90% of civilian casualties are caused by insurgents. Actually, the UNAMA report says it's 74%. Wakht does not make note of the discrepancy.







Posted by Cervantes at 4:55 AM

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