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, March 19, 2013

War News for Tuesday, March 19, 2013

It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since the dumb shits invaded Iraq but it will likely take that much longer until he country settles but into somewhat normalcy. But until whenever that is people are still being blown-up. – whisker
 

Afghan police casualties increased by 15 percent: Sediqi -- According to Afghan interior ministry officials, Afghan national police forces casualties have increased by 15 percent during the current Afghan year. - snip - militants attacks on Afghan police forces have increased by 13 percent.


Reported security incidents
#1: Afghan police, supported by the army and the NATO-led coalition forces, eliminated five militants and detained 17 others in different provinces, the county’s Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. “Afghan National Police (ANP) in partnership with the army and coalition forces conducted a series of cleanup operations in surrounding areas of Kabul, Kunduz, Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Logar, Helmand and Farah provinces, killing five armed Taliban militants and detaining 17 others over the past 24 hours,” the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates. In addition, up to nine Taliban militants have been killed and 16 arrested during a three-day operation in the country’s northern province of Badakhshan. “Afghan army and police conducted a three-day operation ending on Monday. A total of six villages have been cleared of militants.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

reminds me of the claims made by the south vietnamese army in order to get money from uncle sam. all lies.

Dancewater said...

I will never forget the beginning of the illegal and immoral US war of aggression on Iraq.

May the people who did this rot in hell forever.

Dancewater said...

Media under fire in Afghanistan

Anonymous said...

Agree 100%.