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


Tuesday, September 24, 2013

War News for Tuesday, September 24, 2013


Reported security incidents
#1: At least two people were killed Tuesday when mortar shells fired from Afghanistan fell into the Ghulam Khan Tehsil region of North Waziristan tribal agency. Sources told DawnNews that a total of six mortal shells were fired from Afghanistan and fell into the Bangi Dar area near the Afghan border.

#2: A child was killed and another wounded, when an allegedly Taliban planted roadside mine struck them in eastern province of Nangarhar province, an eyewitness said Tuesday. The incident took place in Majbor Abad area, central part of the capital, where an eyewitness, Habibullah told Wakht News Agency that two children were standing nearby waiting for the bus, near a provincial official’s house.

#3: Nearly 50 militants were killed in police operations in different Afghan provinces in the last 24 hours, said the Interior Ministry Tuesday morning. "Afghan National Police (ANP) conducted several cleanup operations with the cooperation of army, intelligence agency and the NATO-led coalition forces, killing 49 armed Taliban, wounding eight and arresting 11 other armed militants," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates. The raids were carried out in Helmand, Farah, Herat, Logar, Uruzgan, Zabul, Kandahar, Balkh, Badakhshan and Kunduz provinces, in noted.

#4: Afghan security forces foiled twin suicide attacks in capital Kabul on Tuesday morning, after being traced by Afghan national security forces. Officials in Kabul security commandment confirming the report said a suicide bomber was shot dead and another bomber were arrested in capital Kabul.

Posted by whisker at 4:11 AM

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