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, August 12, 2014

War News for Tuesday, August 12, 2014

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, August 12th.


NATO warns Afghanistan of total pullout unless election deadlock ends


Reported security incidents
#1: The three policemen died when their patrol vehicle struck a bomb planted along the road in the district of Bahrami Shahid in southern Gazni province, according to the province’s deputy police chief, Asadullha Ensafi. A fourth policeman was wounded in the attack, Ensafi said.

#2-3: At least five people were killed and two injured in two separate incidents in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

#2: According to the police, the first incident of firing occurred in Dera Ismail Khan city when the victims were returning after attending a wedding function, Geo News reported. The assailants, who were waiting for their targets, ambushed the victims' car killing three people and injuring two. The victims included a policeman.

#3: Another incident occurred in Malangi Town where unidentified gunmen entered a house and opened fire at the residents killing two people.

#4: Three more civilians also lost their lives in Ghazni province as a mine planted by militants struck their motorbike Monday morning, according to the official.

#5: However, the security forces during cleanup operations launched Monday morning have killed 22 Taliban militants including two local commanders in Ghazni province, an army spokesman in the province Nazifullah Sultani said. There were no casualties on the security personnel, he said, adding the cleanup operations will continue till eviction of the militants from the district.

#6: "A group of Taliban rebels launched offensive against police checkpoints in Narai district, Kunar province Monday morning and police retaliated killing 12 insurgents on the spot," provincial police chief Abdul Habib Sayedkhili told Xinhua. "During the gun battle which lasted for a while, two civilians were killed and 28 others including 14 Taliban rebels, four police and 10 civilians sustained injuries," the official further said.

#7: Seven civilians including women and children were martyred in joined operation conducted by Afghan and foreign troops in Logar province.

Posted by whisker at 5:19 AM

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