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


Saturday, June 8, 2013

War News for Saturday, June 08, 2013

NATO is reporting the deaths of three ISAF soldiers from an ANA insider attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, June 8th. News reports the attack was in Paktika province.
 
The Italian Defense ministry is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack somewhere in Farah province, Afghanistan on Saturday, June 8th. Three additional Italian soldiers were wounded in the attack. Here's the NATO release.


Reported security incidents
#1: A man wearing Afghan army uniform killed three soldiers in one attack in Paktika province, close to the border with Pakistan. In the incident close to the Pakistan border, Afghan sources told the BBC that when the man in Afghan army uniform opened fire, other international troops fired back.

#2: Meanwhile, the Nato-led coalition said the soldier killed in western Afghanistan had been killed "during an attack by an enemy of Afghanistan". Three other Italian soldiers were reported wounded. A Lynx vehicle was attacked as it returned to base as part of a Military Adviser Team convoy after training Afghan security forces, Italy's defence ministry said.

#3: A US drone strike Friday killed seven militants in northwest Pakistan, the first since Nawaz Sharif was sworn in as prime minister this week calling for an end to such attacks, local officials said. The missiles hit a compound in Shokhel village, more than 100 kilometres southwest of Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan tribal district that is known as a stronghold of Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants. "The US drone fired two missiles targeting a militant compound and killing at least seven militants," a senior local security official told AFP. Another official confirmed the strike and casualties but said the identities of those killed were not yet known.

#4: Units of Afghan police backed by the army and NATO-led forces have eliminated 53 Taliban militants during a series of operations across the country over the past 24 hours, Interior Ministry said in a statement released here on Friday. "In past 24 hours, Afghan National Police conducted several joint clearance operations with the cooperation of Afghan National Army and the Coalition Forces in Kunar, Nangarhar, Nooristan, Jowzjan, Zabul, Uruzgan, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Khost, Paktiya and Helmand provinces, as a result 53 armed Taliban were killed, nine wounded and eight other armed Taliban were arrested," the statement said. However, it did not say if there were any casualties on security forces. Taliban militants have yet to make comment.

Posted by whisker at 4:46 AM

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