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, April 11, 2014

War News for Friday, April 11, 2014


40 killed during 1-month clashes of TTP rival groups


Reported security incidents
#1-2: At least 13 militants were killed in a bombing and a gunfight in North Waziristan on Friday, the latest clashes in almost a week of infighting between rival Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) factions.

#1: Ten insurgents were killed in clashes that began when members of the Sajna group came under rocket attack in their car in the town of Shawal, a local intelligence official told AFP.

#2: Separately, Sher Amanullah, a commander of the Haqqani militant network, was killed along with two others when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle near the town of Datta Khel, intelligence and militant sources said.

#3: An improvised explosive device planted on roadside at Datakhel in North Waziristan Agency went off on Friday morning, killing at least one person and injuring four others. the bomb blast targeting a vehicle with remote-control device in Tehsil Datakhel of North Waziristan Agency this morning.

#4: At least 16 people were injured as a blast hit a motorbike shop in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore early Friday morning, reported local Urdu TV channel Samaa.

#5: A suicide bomber was killed after attacking the coalition security forces in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan. The incident took place on Thursday afternoon in Spin Boldak district, the local government media office said following a statement.

Posted by whisker at 4:14 AM

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