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


Monday, September 22, 2014

War News for Monday, September 22, 2014


3 Afghan military officers missing from Cape Cod military base

U.S. releases 14 Pakistani prisoners from Bagram


Reported security incidents
#1: At least four people, three policemen among them, were shot dead in a suspected militant attack in a remote area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hungu district today. According to officials, the attack took place in Qazi Pump area where unknown gunmen opened fire on a police mobile close to a check post, killing three policemen on the spot. Another person, who was critically injured, later died.

#2: Clashes between border police forces and armed oppositions wounded two children in Logar province today. Deen Mohammad Darwish spokesman of Logar governor reported BNA, the clashes occurred, while Taliban militants attacked on border police checkpoint in Baraki Barak district of the province, in which two children in a family wounded.

#3: At least three Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were martyred following improvised explosive device (IED) explosion, defense ministry officials said Monday. Defense ministry spokesman, Gen. Zahir Azimi said the three Afghan soldiers were martyred in the past 24 hours. He did not disclose further information regarding the exact location where the incident took place.

#4: Afghan security forces conducted military operations yesterday killed 17 armed insurgents.

#5: Four members of a family including two women a boy and a child were martyred and 13 residents of the area were wounded in rocket attacked of Taliban last night. Abdul Khair governor of Bak district, Khost province said BNA, the rocket fired on a residential house in Balabalok district of Khost province. 

Deputy provincial police chief, Abdul Qadir Omid, said the rockets were fired from the other side of Durand Line on Sunday night. Omid further added that 23 rockets were fired in the latest wave of cross-border shelling which landed in Dangam district.

#6: At least 2 Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were martyred and 13 others are missing following an attack by Taliban militants in Herat province. According to local security officials, Taliban militants launched an attack on a security check post in Rabat-e-Sangi district late Sunday. In the meantime, unconfirmed reports suggest that the 13 soldiers have joined Taliban group and have taken with them the weapons and ammunition.

#7: A group of senior Taliban leaders were killed following an airstrike in western Farah provice of Afghanistan, security officials said Monday.

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