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


Monday, August 25, 2014

War News for Monday, August 25, 2014


Reported security incidents
#1: A truck driver and a cleaner were killed early on Monday as unidentified gunmen attacked a tanker in Jamrud tehsil on the Pak-Afghan highway. The tanker was transporting goods for Nato forces deployed in Afghanistan. Official sources said the tanker was attacked near the Wazir Dhand area of Jamrud which is situated in the northwestern tribal region of Khyber.

#2: Six foreign security personnel and an Afghan translator were injured in a suicide bombing on a military convoy in Afghanistan Sunday, an official said. "At around 3 p.m. Sunday, a militant rammed his car bomb into a convoy of foreign soldiers in Jalalabad city in eastern Nangarhar province. The blast wounded six troops and their local translator," Xinhua quoted provincial government spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai as saying. One military vehicle was also destroyed in the attack. However, the nationality of the injured remains unknown.

#3: Two prisoners and a child were killed on Sunday during an attempted prison break in southern Afghanistan, a top police official said. The chief of police for Zabul province in southeastern Afghanistan, Ghulam Saki Roghlewanai, said some explosives had been placed earlier near a prison wall.

#4: At least one person was killed and 15 others were injured when a hand grenade was thrown at a restaurant in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province in the southwest, police said today.

#5: A Taliban commander was killed today in a remote controlled IED blast in Pakistan's restive tribal region bordering Afghanistan. The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast took place outside the house of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander, known as Khabare, in Mehraban Kalay area of Tirrah Valley in Khyber Agency, sources said.

#6: A commander of armed militants killed with his 2 bodyguards during military activities of Afghan National Army (commando) unit last night. Defense ministry press office said BNA, Commander Sanaullah who was involved in organizing terrorist attacks in Behsod district of Nangarhar province, killed with his 2 bodyguards during military activities of (ANA) commando unit.

#7: A member of peace council was killed by unknown gunmen in Ghazni province this morning. Shafiq Nang spokesman of Ghazni governor told BNA, Dr. Mohammad Ghani Bahadri member of peace council and tribal influential, which previously was head of provincial peace council in the province shot dead by gunmen in Ghazni city.

#8: At least five civilians were injured in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan following cross-border shelling from the other side of Durand Line.

#9: At least four Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were martyred following roadside bomb explosion, defense officials said Monday.

#10: At least 35 Taliban militants were killed during joint military operations conducted by Afghan national security forces in the past 24 hours.

DoD: Sgt. Christopher W. Mulalley

Posted by whisker at 3:34 AM

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