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


Thursday, June 21, 2012

War News for Thursday, June 21, 2012

NATO is reporting the deaths of three ISAF soldiers from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, June 20th. News reports that a suicide bomber attacked a check point in Khost province killing 3 American soldiers, an Afghan interpreter, two police officers and seventeen civilians and wounding 32 other civilians.


Reported security incidents
#1: A NATO aircraft made a forced landing in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, causing no casualties, the military alliance said in a statement. "An International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) aircraft made a forced landing in eastern Afghanistan today," and "All personnel on the aircraft were recovered and there were no civilian or ISAF fatalities," the NATO-led ISAF said in the statement.

An American helicopter has crashed in Khost province in southeast Afghanistan, one day after a bomb attack killed 21 people in the province.

#2: Up to 20 Taliban insurgents have been killed in operations carried out by Afghan forces and NATO- led coalition troops within the past 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said on Thursday morning. "Afghan National Police (ANP), army and Coalition Forces launched 13 cleanup operations in Kabul, Nangarhar, Laghman, Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul, Uruzgan, Logar, Paktia and Farah provinces, killing 20 armed Taliban insurgents over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates to media.

#3: According to local authorities in eastern Kunar province at least 21 militants were killed following NATO air raid in this province. Provincial governor spokesman Wasifullah Wasifi confirming the report said the air raid was conducted after coalition forces were engaged by militants at Wata Pur and Mangoi districts.

Posted by whisker at 3:59 AM

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