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, July 11, 2012

War News for Wednesday, July 11, 2012

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED blast in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, July 11th.


Militants threaten to attack Pak govt installations

Afghan exit will cost U.S. billions

Decision delayed in case of Bamberg soldier who shot Afghan doctor


Reported security incidents
#1: Up to 12 Taliban insurgents have been killed and 20 detained in military operations in nine Afghan provinces within the past 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said Wednesday morning. "Afghan police, army and NATO-led coalition forces launched nine joint cleanup operations in Kunar, Balkh, Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Ghazni, Khost, Farah and Helmand provinces, killing 12 armed Taliban insurgents and detaining 20 suspected armed men throughout the 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates to media. They also found and seized weapons, the statement said, without saying if there were any casualties on the side of security forces.

#2: Two Afghan security personnel were killed and five more injured in separate incidents in Pakiya province Tuesday. An explosion hit Afghan security forces near a checkpost on Zurmat highway in Gardez City, the Paktiya Governor's spokesman, Roofullah Samoon told the Afghan Islamic Press. He added a cop was killed while a policeman and three ANA soldiers were injured in the blast.

#3: In a separate incident, Samoon said an ANA soldier was killed and another injured in gunfight with Taliban in Teera Kotal area on Kabul-Gardez highway. He said he did not have information about casualties to Taliban. The Taliban have not said anything in this regard till filling of this report.

Posted by whisker at 2:50 AM

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