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, July 29, 2014

War News for Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The DoD is reporting the death of Boatswain’s Mate Seaman Yeshabel Villotcarrasco who died from a non-combat related incident aboard USS James E. Williams in the Red Sea Thursday, June 19th.


US weapons for Afghans may end up with Taliban: Audit


Reported security incidents
#1: A suicide bomber Tuesday assassinated a powerful cousin of outgoing Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a major blow to the country's ruling clan that risks destabilizing the volatile south. Hashmat Karzai was in his fort-like home outside Kandahar city greeting visitors on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr when the blast took place. The attacker, a man in his 20s who hid the explosives in his headgear, was allowed into the house as a guest, according to local officials. Hashmat Karzai and a bodyguard were killed on the spot.

#2: At least six people including two policemen were killed in firing at a provincial lawmaker's house in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of Lower Dir, local media reported. Geo TV said that some unknown gunmen opened fire at the house of member provincial assembly (MPA) Bakht Baidar in Chaqdara area of Lower Dir, a district located in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The MPA was not at his residence when the attack took place, but the firing left his brother, two policemen and three guests killed.

#3: Dozens of Taliban militants launched attacks on security check posts in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan early Tuesday morning. According to local government officials, the attack was carried out on secuity check posts in Hesarak district. Mashriqwal further added that both the Taliban militants and Afghan security forces suffered casualties during the ongoing clashes. However, he did not disclsoe further information regarding the exact number of casualties.


DoD: Boatswain’s Mate Seaman Yeshabel Villotcarrasco

Posted by whisker at 2:44 AM

1 comments:

Dancewater said...

well, great to see we are arming the Taliban again, just like we were doing in early 2001.

July 30, 2014 at 1:22 PM

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