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, June 13, 2014

War News for Friday, June 13, 2014


Afghans tighten security amid election threats

Iraqis Who Fled Mosul Say They Prefer Militants to Government

US transfers 12 detainees including 10 Pakistanis out of Afghan prison --  A French national, a Kuwaiti and 10 Pakistani detainees were sent back to their home countries last month from the Parwan prison, the defence official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Volunteers flock to defend Baghdad as insurgents seize more Iraqi territory --  as the group seized the towns of Saadiyah and Jalawla north of the capital.

Troops battled ISIS militants Friday in Diyala province


Reported security incidents
#1: A policeman was killed on Friday when unidentified militants attacked a police checkpost near Chakdara area of Lower Dir district.

#2: In a separate incident, at least two FC men were injured when an explosion occurred in Salarzai area of Bajaur tribal region.

#3: Afghan police backed by the army have killed 29 Taliban militants during a series of operations across the country over the past 24 hours, Interior Ministry said in a statement released here on Friday.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who is financing or is behind this group ISIS?they seemed to just appear

whisker said...

That is a very good question which the answer is somewhat convoluted and perhaps not answerable. We know that the Russians support the Assad government in Syria who are fighting against the insurrection there. We also know that Iran will support the Shiite population in southeaster Iraq so rule them out too. Now the so called ISIS is really many different groups of very loosely allied gorillas which the west likes to lump into pseudo related al quida links which is repugnant to the core because most have nothing to do with such. Who is financing then depends on each and every separate group. The Iraq Sunni, Al-quida in Arabia, Hamas, are just a few of the more well know groups which the money comes from various sources which I’m sure our CIA has their eyes upon. Remember that the US through Turkey has been channeling money and weapons to various groups for about a year now and certainly some of that is finding it’s way into Iraq. So my point is no one person or government is funding this, it’s just escalation of many different influences.

Dancewater said...

I think it is mainly Saudi Arabia and Qater who is financing them.

Same as in Syria. Same as the original al Qadea terrorists who attacked the US on 9/11.

And the USA lets them.