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, December 10, 2014

War News for Wednesday, December 10, 2014


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Reported security incidents
#1: Pakistan Army said on Wednesday it had killed 11 militants in air strikes in a troubled tribal district near the Afghan border. The raids took place Tuesday evening in Tirah area of Khyber district

#2: Two Afghan army soldiers and eight militants have been killed within the last 24 hours, said the country's Defense Ministry on Wednesday morning. "Over the past 24 hours, eight Taliban militants were killed and six others detained following army operations in six provinces out of the 34 Afghan provinces," the ministry said in a statement.

#3: 5 armed oppositions were killed in clearing operation led by police forces in Almar district, Faryab province.

#4: A clearing operation under the code name of (Khaibar) started in Laghman province.

#5: 12 armed Taliban insurgents including six commanders of them were killed in NATO air raid in Nooristan province last night.

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