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


Sunday, August 10, 2014

News of the Day for Sunday, August 10, 2014


Suicide bomber targeting an ISAF convoy in Kabul kills 4 civilian bystanders, injures dozens. An ISAF vehicle is lightly damaged. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claims responsibility.

 I don't know why I bother to link to this garbage, maybe just so nobody will accuse me of ignoring it. The Interior Ministry is really outdoing itself today, claiming 96 Taliban killed in the past 24 hours, which is three or four times the usual, with the usual zero government or civilian casualties. Sure.

 The Independent Electoral Commission begins the process of formally invalidating ballots. (This is going to be at least as bad as Florida and the hanging chads, I expect.)

 Afghan exports unexpectedly fall 20% in the first quarter. (This refers to legal exports, such as dried fruits and carpets, not Afghanistan's leading export which by all accounts is doing just fine, thank you.) The Chamber of Commerce blames this on political instability surrounding the disputed presidential election, but I must say it's hard for me to see what the link is.

 Britain's Prince Harry recalls his service in Afghanistan. "Prince Harry has recalled the ''horrendous'' images he saw during two tours of Afghanistan when he encountered children who had died from roadside bombs and soldiers lying on the battlefield." He served as a helicopter pilot who transported casualties to the hospital.

In Iraq,  the Interior Minister claims IS murdered 500 Yazidis. In better news, Kurdish forces create an escape corridor from Mt. Sinjar and tens of thousands of people make it to a refugee camp. However, conditions there are still grim. The refugees tell horrific stories. "Maher, 16, of the Qassem family, but from the village of Yarmouk, said he watched with binoculars that he stole from a soldier, as Islamic State fighters stopped tens of people. "They separated the men and women, and they took some of the women away on trucks. They shot the men," he said. "I went crazy. I couldn't sleep, eat or drink, I couldn't talk to anybody."

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius is in Iraq to discuss humanitarian aid  while U.S. airstrikes on IS vehicles continue. No major territorial gains on any side are reported.


Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/08/09/4061390/thousands-from-iraq-minority-flee.html#storylink=cpy

Posted by Cervantes at 4:46 AM

2 comments:

Up Front said...

Thank you for your reports. You continue to provide a most valuable service for the people in AF.

August 10, 2014 at 7:20 AM
Cervantes said...

Thanks, but they need a lot more than we can give them.

August 11, 2014 at 10:26 AM

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