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


Tuesday, May 13, 2014

War News for Tuesday, May 13, 2014


Keith Maupin, MSgt. Matt Maupin: Dad gets to speak to Iraqi judge trying son's confessed killer

PAKISTAN: Is the battle with the media becoming the military's Waterloo?


Reported security incidents
#1: In one attack, a senior official and two policemen were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) blew up a police vehicle in Zana Khan district in Ghazni province, Xinhua reported.

#2: In the second attack, eight civilians were injured when two rockets hit the provincial capital Ghazni city.

At least eight civilians were wounded when a Taliban mortar shell struck a bazaar in Ghazni city, the provincial capital of eastern Afghan province of Ghazni on Tuesday, sources said.

#3: Overnight, Taliban gunmen also opened fire on a police check post in the Sangin district of Helmand province, killing three policemen and injuring four, according to Omar Zwak, spokesman for the local government in Helmand. A week ago, the last U.S. Marines unit pulled out of Sangin--a district the U.S. military considers the most violent in the country--leaving Afghan forces to fight on their own.

#4: A local Awami National Party (ANP) leader was killed by unknown persons in Peshawar's Kohati area on Tuesday, DawnNnews reported. According to the police, former Union counsellor Anwarul Haq was present at his shop when unknown persons opened fire on him. He died on the spot.

#5: A navy personnel was today shot dead in Pakistan’s biggest city in an apparent target killing, the fifth such attack on a naval personnel since last year. The deceased, from Punjab province, was working as a cook in the Pakistan Navy, police said.

#6: At least two teachers were killed on Tuesday when unidentified gunmen fired at them near a government high school in Pakistan, media reported. The incident took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Hangu district, Dawn online reported.

#7: According to local authorities in northern Jawzjan province of Afghanistan, at least three policemen were killed following an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion. Provincial police spokesman, Abdul Manan Raufi confirming the report said the incident took place on Monday evening. Mr. Raufi further added that two policemen were also injured following the explosion.

#8: At least 111 Taliban militants were killed during military operations in various provinces of Afghanistan in the past 24 hours. Azimi further added that four Afghan national army soldiers were also martyred following improvised explosive device (IED) attack.


DoD: Chief Warrant Officer Deric M. Rasmussen

Posted by whisker at 3:54 AM

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