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


Wednesday, October 30, 2013

War News for Wednesday, October 30, 2013


Reported security incidents
#1: A bomb explosion on Wednesday killed two Pakistani soldiers and wounded four others in a restive Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border, security officials said. The explosion took place in a village in the South Waziristan tribal region. The explosion took place in a village in the South Waziristan tribal region.

#2: Militants on Wednesday attacked a house located near Awaran where rescue teams were stationed, DawnNews reported.

#3: At least two Afghan national army soldiers and a Taliban militant were killed following clashes in northern Sar-e-Pul province of Afghanistan. Local government officials said clashes between Afghan soldiers and Taliban militants started on Tuesday night and continued until Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Haidari further added clashes between Afghan soldiers and Taliban militants started after a convoy of the Afghan troops struck with a roadside bomb in Kohistanat district.

Posted by whisker at 4:28 AM

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