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, May 16, 2014

War News for Friday, May 16, 2014

The DoD is reporting the death of a soldier who was supporting OEF. Command Sgt. Maj. Martin R Barreras died at the San Antonio Military Medical Center, Texas on Tuesday, May 13th. He was wounded from small arms fire in Harat Province, Afghanistan on Tuesday, May 6th.


4.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Balochistan


Reported security incidents
#1: Police in Pakistan say a bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded outside a restaurant near the capital, Islamabad, late on May 15 -- wounding at least 15 people. The bombing in the garrison city of Rawalpindi occurred a few hours after computer hackers broke into website of the city’s police.

#2: One person was killed and five others, including a policeman, sustained injuries in a clash between the police and protesters outside the police station in the Wapda Colony here on Thursday, official sources said. The sources said that a team of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) along with a police party raided a market inside the Lakki Gate and arrested 22 alleged power thieves.

Meanwhile, the relatives and activists of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also reached the police station and exchanged harsh words with the Station House Officer, Taj Ali, and resorted to indiscriminate fire, the sources added. A passer-by identified as Meher Din, hailing from Bhakkar in Punjab, was killed.

#3: Seven anti-government militants were killed and five others injuries as clash erupted in Dasht-e-Archi district of Kunduz province with Kunduz city as its capital, 250 km north of Kabul on Friday, police said. "A clash erupted in Daftani and Tapai Godamdar villages of Dasht-e-Archi district this morning as a result seven armed militants were killed and five others injured," provincial police chief Ghulam Mustafa Mohsini told newsmen here.

#4: According to reports, an Afghan policeman has killed his four family members along with his commander in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan. The incident took place in Arghandab district of Kandahar province late Thursday, a local security official said.

#5: At least one civilian was killed and 27 others including policemen were injured following an explosion in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan on Friday. Local government officials in Nangarhar confirmed the incident took place in Ghani Khel district early Friday morning.

Posted by whisker at 4:28 AM

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