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, July 27, 2013

War News for Saturday, July 27, 2013


Reported security incidents
#1: Gunmen attacked a coastguard checkpost in southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing seven officials and wounding seven others, officials said. The incident happened in the Suntsar area of Gwadar district, 1,420 kilometres (882 miles) southwest of Quetta, the capital of the oil and gas rich Baluchistan province that borders Iran and Afghanistan. "Around 24 gunmen armed with rockets and heavy weapons, attacked the checkpost and killed seven coastguard officials," provincial home secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani said. He said at least seven coastguard officials were also injured in the early morning attack.


#2: THE death toll from twin suicide attacks at a busy marketplace in northwest Pakistan has risen to 51, officials say. The Friday attacks at the bazaar in Parachinar, the main town of Kurram tribal district on Pakistan-Afghanistan border were the deadliest to hit the country during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. "The new deaths occurred overnight", Mehsud said, adding that more than 150 people were injured in the attacks.

#3: The governor of Afghanistan's northern Samangan Province has survived a roadside bomb attack claimed by Taliban militants. The attack occurred as Khairullah Anosh was traveling to work on July 27 in a pickup truck. He and two bodyguards sustained minor injuries.
 
#4: At least four paramilitary soldiers were injured when a bomb went off in Hangu on Saturday, Geo News reported. According to police, a bomb planted in a motorcycle went off when a vehicle of the Frontier Corps (FC) passed. District Police Officer (DPO) Sajjad Khan said that four FC officials were injured in the attack, which took place in Doaba area of Hangu.

#5: At least 10 security officials were killed and five others injured when unknown insurgents attacked a security check post in Gawadar district of the restive Balochistan province. The check post of coastguards was located in Sansar area, a mountainous region some 100 kilometers away from Gwadar, the port city in Balochistan.

#6: Forty-five Taliban militants were killed as NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) aircrafts raided their hideout in the southern Helmand province on Friday night, a statement of Helmand' s provincial administration said Saturday. "The armed militants were on five vehicles when came under ISAF aircrafts attack leaving 45 rebels dead and three others injured," the short statement contended without giving more details. Meantime, spokesman of Helmand local government Omar Zawak in talks with Xinhua confirmed the incident, saying the attack took place near Bahramcha town late Friday night. However, he did not furnish more details. Neither Taliban outfit nor ISAF has issued any statement.
#7: A bomb blast targeted the police convoy in northern Afghan province of Baghlan on Saturday, police said.

Posted by whisker at 5:28 AM

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