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, August 15, 2014

War News for Friday, August 15, 2014


Georgian soldiers leaving base in Afghanistan


Reported security incidents
#1: Gunmen armed with automatic weapons, grenades and wearing suicide vests attacked two military airbases in Quetta early Friday, leaving eight militants dead after security forces opened fire, officials said. Sarfaraz Bugti, the home minister of insurgency-hit Balochistan province, said that militants had tried to storm the Samungli airbase, used by the Pakistan Air Force, and Khalid military airbase, both in the provincial capital Quetta, but had failed to penetrate either perimeter.

#2: At least four suspected militants were killed on Friday when security forces opened fire on an explosives-laden vehicle in the Fort Slope area of Bara tehsil in the Khyber tribal region. Security forces signaled a suspicious vehicle which was approaching their base, directing it to stop but opened fire on it after the vehicle failed to accord with the directive.

#3: At least three Afghan policemen have been killed and four others wounded in a bomb attack in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Laghman, APA reports. According to a statement released by the provincial government, the blast took place in the Baad Pukh district of the province, located 260 kilometers (161 miles) east of the capital, Kabul, at around 05:00 a.m. local time (0030 GMT) on Thursday when a vehicle touched off a buried explosive device.

#4: The Taliban insurgents executed five civilians on charges of spying for the government in southern province of Helmand on Friday morning, police said.

#5: The head of electoral campaign of Gul Aqa Shirzai candidates in the first round of presidential election in Helmand province was killed by armed gunmen. Abdul Malik was targeted by two gunmen and lost his life in Sofyan village, Lashkarga city. Eyewitnesses said that the attackers riding motorcycle and after the attack fled the site.

#6: Six people including a police were wounded in explosion of a bomb in Jalalabad city, capital of Nangarhar province this morning. The explosion occurred while a convoy of officials of the first security precinct of Jalalabad was passing the area. Hazrat Hosain Mashriqiwal police spokesman of Nangarhar said BNA, in the explosion, the head of first security precinct of Jalalabad city with his three bodyguards and two civilians wounded.

#7: An explosion occurred close to Ahmadabad district’s bazaar in Paktia province today. According to reports a convoy of security forces was targeted in Machlagho village in the incident.

#8: At least eight people including the district police chief for Spin Boldak were killed following infighting among the policemen in Kandahar. According to local government officials, the incident took place late Thursday night in Spin Boldak district.

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