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


Sunday, April 8, 2012

News of the Day for Sunday, April 8, 2012

U.S. and Afghan governments sign a deal on night raids by U.S. troops, which have been a long-standing source of tension that has blocked progress toward a larger strategic agreement. However, this agreement does not end the practice, as Hamid Karzai has publicly demanded on many occasions. Rather, it requires approval by a panel of Afghan officials. Even so, it covers only "ordinary patrols," or operations to capture territory. And there are suggestions, although it has not been fully explained publicly, that the U.S. has some role in the approval process. -- C

Afghan military says two top Taliban commanders and 10 others have been killed in a joint Afghan-NATO operation in Ghazni.

Two Taliban leaders also said to be detained in Baghlan.

People in Ghor province claim the governor, Abdullah Haiwad, has stolen their land, and has also given government land to his relatives. The headline on this story is that he denies it. No surprise there.

Public Health minister Suraya Dalil says that despite progress, many Afghans still have no access to basic health care services.

Iraq Update

Videos have surfaced that appear to show fugitive Baath Party official Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri criticizing the Shiite-led government. Al-Douri is said to have moved money to Syria just prior to the U.S. invasion, which has been used to fund the Sunni insurgency.

Roadside bomb kills three policemen in Khan Badi Saad, south of Baquba.

A bomb hidden in a plastic bag on a minibus kills two people and injures nine in the Karaada district of Baghdad.

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