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, July 26, 2014

War News for Saturday, July 26, 2014

The DoD is reporting the death of Pfc. Donnell A. Hamilton, Jr. who died Thursday, July 24th, at the Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas from an illness sustained in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.


Ex-Chief of C.I.A. Shapes Response to Detention Report


Reported security incidents
#1: This Saturday morning, a suspected militant has been reportedly killed by the security forces in the Jannikhel area of Pakistan's Bannu District. The security forces were reportedly attacked while they were conducting a search operation in the Frontier Region in Jannikhel. The security personnel subsequently responded to the assault with retaliatory firing.

#2: Two ANA officers were targeted by terrorists and killed in Herat province this morning. According to national defense ministry press office to BNA, two ANA officers were going to their work, targeted by terrorists and killed.

#3: Afghan National Army (ANA) lunched two separate operations in which killed 8 armed rebels in Helmand province last night.

#4: An officer of ANA forces was martyred in explosion of a magnetic mine which was placed in a vehicle of ANA forces in Kabul province this morning.

#5: At least 24 militants were killed during military operations by Afghan national army (ANA) soldiers during the past 48 hours.


DoD: Pfc. Donnell A. Hamilton

DoD: Staff Sgt. Benjamin G. Prange

DoD: Pfc. Keith M. Williams

Posted by whisker at 4:55 AM

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