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


Thursday, September 8, 2016

Update for Thursday, September 8, 2016

Taliban enter Tarin Kot, the Uruzgan capital, amid heavy fighting as residents flee. Senior officials are said to have fled to the airport, while the police and intelligence headquarters are under attack. The police chief admits that many of his men fled without a fight.

Amid deteriorating battlefield conditions, the U.S. will deploy 1,400 troops to Afghanistan from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The UN reports that 93 aid workers have been abducted in Afghanistan so far this year. A spokesman also issues an urgent call for assistance as they expect 1.1 million displaced people by the end of the year, including refugees being expelled from Pakistan at the rate of 5,000 per day. 2.7 million Afghans are suffering from malnutrition, including more than 1 million children.



Posted by Cervantes at 8:18 AM

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September 9, 2016 at 3:18 AM

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