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


Wednesday, February 12, 2014

War News for Wednesday, February 12, 2014


US mulls another army action in Pakistan


Reported security incidents
#1: Militants killed nine members of an anti-Taliban militia on Wednesday in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, police said. In Wednesday's attack, a group of about 25 militants attacked the house of militia chief Israrullah Khan on Peshawar outskirts, killing him and eight of his relatives, said police official Jamal Khan.

#2: Officials say attacks in southern Afghanistan have killed the brother of a man running for office in provincial elections and a policeman, the latest in continued violence ahead of the April 5 vote. Omar Zwark, spokesman for the governor of Helmand province, said Wednesday that the body of candidate Sabor Sabari's brother was found the previous night in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah. He also says a local policeman was killed by Taliban insurgents on Tuesday night in the city.

#3: At least 6 Taliban militants were killed and 14 others were injured following military operation by Afghan national security forces. The interior ministry of Afghanistan following a statement said Wednesday that the operations were conducted in Zabul, Kandahar, Kunduz, Baghlan, Kapisa, Uruzgan, Maidan wardak, Logar, Ghazni, Khost, Paktia, Herat and Farah provinces of Afghanistan.

#4: At least four Afghan national army soldiers were killed following in separate improvised explosive device (IED) attacks across the country, the defense ministry announced Tuesday.


DoD: Pfc. Joshua A. Gray

Posted by whisker at 4:41 AM

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