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, October 20, 2014

War News for Mondaay, October 20, 2014


Pakistan's PM adviser visits Afghanistan


Reported security incidents
#1-2: Hundreds of Taliban militants have launched two attacks in Logar and central province of Ghor in Afghanistan killing at least four soldiers, said local officials.

#1: In Logar province, at least four soldiers died in the east when fighters attacked security posts, reported the BBC.

#2: In the central province of Ghor, at least 500 Taliban militants attacked two villages where the number of casualties remains unclear.

#3: Suspected separatists in Balochistan killed nine laborers on Sunday in what appeared to be an ethnically motivated attack, officials said.

#4: Two border police forces were martyred following armed oppositions ambush in Pashtoon Koot district, Faryab province. The policemen who were riding motorcycle targeted by Taliban militants in Zard Kotal region of the district.

#5: At least 18 Taliban militants were killed following joint military operations by Afghan national security forces in the past 24 yours.

#6: At least five suspected kidnappers were killed following an operation by Afghan National Army (ANA) commando forces in western Herat province.

Posted by whisker at 3:54 AM

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who are the soldiers killed..

October 20, 2014 at 4:39 AM
Cervantes said...

Afghan government spokesmen generally do not identify casualties. It's an interesting question though, I will try to find out if there is an on-site source of this information.

October 20, 2014 at 7:39 AM
whisker said...

They were ANA not ISAF soldiers.

October 21, 2014 at 3:41 AM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)