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


Saturday, June 7, 2014

War News for Saturday, June 07, 2014


Afghanistan flash floods kill around 60

122 ‘missing persons’ traced in Balochistan in three years

After 2014‚ no more NATO medevacs for wounded Afghans


Reported security incidents
#1: Two soldiers were killed Saturday in separate bomb blasts in a restive Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border, the military said, a quoted by AFP. The explosions took place in Bajaur tribal district, one of the seven semi-autonomous tribal regions, where troops have been battling Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants.

#2: At least five national army soldiers were wounded when their ranger-type was struck by car-bomb in southern province of Kandahar, the provincial press office statement said Saturday. A town-ace type vehicle packed with explosives was slammed into an army vehicle in Maiwand district of the province, where at least five soldiers were reportedly injured, said the governor office.

#3: At least four Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were martyred following improvised explosive device (IED) attack during the past 24 hours. Gen. Azimi further added that 27 militants were also killed during military operations conducted by Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers in the past 24 hours.


DoD: Pfc. Matthew H. Walker

Posted by whisker at 5:19 AM

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