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


Wednesday, July 9, 2014

War News for Wednesday, July 09, 2014


Afghan Candidate Stops Short of Forming Government

UN documents 4,853 civilian casualties in Afghanistan in past 6 months


Reported security incidents
#1: A group of militants launched massive offensives against police headquarters and provincial governor office in Kandahar city the capital of Kandahar province, 450 km south of Kabul on Wednesday. "A group of militants first conducted a suicide car bomb next to the Kandahar police headquarters and after minutes some militants begun opening fire on the governor office," spokesman for provincial government Dawa Khan Minapal told Xinhua. A gun battle between the security forces and the attackers is going on, Minapal said, adding the militants have occupied some buildings near the provincial governor office, and were opening fire from them.

#2: Pakistani jets bombed insurgent hide-outs in a restive tribal area bordering Afghanistan and killed at least 13 militants on Tuesday the military said. The strikes were carried out at Degan village a stronghold of Taleban militants in the North Waziristan tribal district.

#3: At least two people were killed and two sustained injuries as unknown gunmen opened fire targeting passengers in a Rickshaw in the Cantt area of Bannu on Wednesday, Dunya News reported.

#4: Clash among policemen left at least three personnel dead and two other injured in southern province of Kandahar, an official said Monday.

#5: At least 8 armed Taliban killed in a clash with local police forces in Imam Sahib District of Kunduz province.

#6: At least two Afghan national army (ANA) soldiers were martyred following separate improvised explosive device (IED) attacks in the last 24 hours.

#6: At least 35 Taliban militants were killed following military operations conducted by Afghan national security forces in various provinces of Afghanistan.

Posted by whisker at 3:30 AM

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