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, June 10, 2014

War News for Tuesday, June 10, 2014

NATO is reporting the deaths of five ISAF soldiers from unreported reasons in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Monday, June 9th. A second NATO release reports the deaths occurred during an insurgent attack and “the possibility that fratricide may have been involved.” Various news reports that coalition aircraft attacked the soldiers location and “friendly fire” may have been the cause of death. One ANA soldier was also killed in the incident.


Reported security incidents
#1: Gunmen in Pakistan attacked a training facility near the Karachi airport on Tuesday, forcing a temporary suspension of flights and triggering a brief shootout with security forces, just days after the brazen Taliban assault on the city's busy airport shocked the country.

#2: At least 15 terrorists were killed in air strikes by Pakistan Military at suspected militants’ hideouts in Tirah Valley early of Tuesday, military sources have said. Military jets targeted nine hideouts in Tirah near Pak-Afghan border, in which at least 15 terrorists were killed, confirmed Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

#3: At least four people, including three soldiers, were killed and a dozen others got wounded in a suicide attack on an army check post in Pakistan’s northwest tribal area of North Waziristan Monday, officials said.

#4: Both mine planters attempting to target a security forces convoy victimized of their own made explosives blast in western province of Herat, the ministry of interior said Monday. The mine makers were planning to hide the roadside ordnances in Rubat-e-Sangi district of the province, leaving own live claimed when the devices went off prematurely, said the ministry in a statement referring its website.

#5: Gunmen abducted about 35 Afghan university teachers on Tuesday after setting in fire a bus carrying them in eastern Ghazni province, a provincial official said.

#6: At least ten Taliban militants were killed following a NATO airstrike in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan.

Posted by whisker at 4:16 AM

1 comments:

Cervantes said...

Meanwhile, back in Iraq, ISIS takes Mosul, adding it to its current territory in Fallujah and elsewhere in Anbar. As I have always said, Iraq will come apart at the seams.

June 10, 2014 at 4:30 AM

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