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


Friday, November 11, 2016

Update for Friday, November 11, 2016

Taliban attack German consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif, killing 4 people and wounding hundreds in a massive explosion. No German nationals were injured, however.  German soldiers subsequently kill 2 men on a motorcycle who did not follow their directions. They are identified as civilians.

In Iraq, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein reviews atrocities committed by IS, calls for formal justice not collective punishment and revenge.


Iraqi forces continue to make slow progress in Mosul against heavy resistance. As of now about 48,000 people have been displaced by the fighting. Many are arriving at UN camps.

Kurdish forces are constructing a defensive berm about 40 miles west of Irbil, marking the boundary of territory they intend to keep.








Posted by Cervantes at 6:35 AM

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