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


Sunday, May 5, 2013

News of the Day for Sunday, May 5, 2013


An Afghan soldier kills 2 ISAF service members in Western Afghanistan.

Five U.S. soldiers are killed by a roadside bomb in Maiwand, Kandahar on Saturday.

On German soldier is killed and one injured in fighting in Baghlan province. The soldiers called for air support during the incident and it is presumed that some insurgents were also killed but there is no specific information as yet. It seems the Germans were members of the "KSK" special forces "anti-terror" unit. (I.e., any Muslim who is fighting against westerners is by definition a "terrorist," even if they are soldiers on a battlefield.)

Four civilians are killed, 5 injured by a roadside bomb in Farah province.

ISAF says it has captured a senior insurgent leader named Jamal in Baghlan province. This seems unconnected to the incident in which the German soldier was killed.

President Karzai says Afghanistan does not recognize the Durand line, that is the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan originally drawn between British India and Afghan Amir Abdur Rahman Khan in 1893. This is in the context of recent border clashes and emphasizes the continuing tension between the two countries. Karzai also appears to encourage the Taliban in the border region to attack Pakistani troops, if I read this correctly.

Meanwhile, in Pakistan, Pakistani troops kill 16 insurgents, suffering 2 deaths of their own, near the Afghan border.

Iraq Update: Khalid Mahmoud, writing for Asharq Al-Awsat, reports on growing calls for secession in the Sunni Arab regions.  However, this does not appears to be a popular position as of yet; continuing protests are demanding political and social equality from the Shiite-led regime.






Posted by Cervantes at 4:51 AM

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