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 20, 2014

War News for Tuesday, May 20, 2014

The DoD is reporting the death of a soldier who was supporting OEF. Spec. Adrian M. Perkins died from a non-combat related injury in Amman, Jordon on Saturday, May 17th.


CIA claims it won't use vaccination programmes for intelligence purposes

27 killed as Shiite rebels attack army in north Yemen


Reported security incidents
#1: At least three policemen were killed and eight others injured on Tuesday when two police vehicles collided in Jowzjan province in Afghanistan, an official said.

#2: Three children were killed by a rocket which hit their house in southern Afghanistan, officials said on Monday. However the Helmand provincial governor blamed the Taliban rebels for the attack.

#3: Three people were killed during an armed clash between two tribes in Balochistan's remote Jhal Magsi district, Levies personnel claimed. A Levies official who requested anonymity since he was not authorised to speak to media told Dawn.com that firing erupted between two tribes in Kot Magsi area of the district.

#4: In another incident one person was killed and another was injured in a landmine blast on Sui-Dera Bugti road (Balochistan). According to the levies sources, some unidentified people had planted a landmine on the Sui-Dera Bugti road.

#5: At least five Afghan national army (ANA) service members were killed in the past 24 hours, an official said Tuesday. Gen. Zahir Azimi, Afghan Defense Ministry Spokesman told media that the Afghan soldiers have been “martyred” during improvised explosive device (IED) blast, but didn’t disclose the exact location.

#6: Ten Taliban militants have been killed as government forces stormed Taliban hideouts in Pachiragam district of the eastern Nangarhar province late Monday night, Interior Ministry said in a statement released here Tuesday. "Since launching the joint operations of police and army in parts of Pachiragam district Monday night, 10 Taliban rebels have been killed and six others injured,"the statement added.

#7: According to local authorities in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan, at least 27 rockets fired from the other side of Durand Line landed in this province. Provincial security Chief Gen. Abdul Habib Syed Khel said the rockets were fired during the past 24 hours.

Posted by whisker at 3:58 AM

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