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, February 27, 2014

War News for Thursday, February 27, 2014


Warlords With Dark Pasts Battle in Afghan Election


Reported security incidents
#1: Two Afghan army soldiers were killed in roadside bombings, said the country's Defense Ministry on Thursday. "Two Afghan National Army personnel were martyred in two improvised explosive device (IED) attacks in Panjwai district of Kandahar and Gereshk district of neighboring Helmand province," the ministry said in a statement.

#2: The military gunship helicopters bombarded the militant hideouts in South Waziristan Agency and Dera Ismail Khan on Thursday, killing several terrorists. According to security sources, three gunship helicopters carried out surgical strikes on the militant compounds in mountains bordering South Waziristan and Karachi Tehsil of DI Khan early today.  Source sources said that several people were killed in the airstrike, however, didn’t confirm the exact number of causalities.

#3: According to local authorities in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, at least 50 militants were killed in a series of operations in this province. Provincial security chief, Fazal Ahmad Sherzad said Wednesday that the militants were killed during the past five days in Hesarak district.

Posted by whisker at 4:05 AM

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