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


Friday, May 11, 2012

War News for Friday, May 11, 2012


NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an small arms fire/gunshot wounds when an ANA soldier turned his weapon on ISAF soldiers in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Friday, May 11th. News reports that the shooting was at a base in Kunar province killing one U.S. soldier and wounding two others.


EU to spend €50mn on private security in Afghanistan

Civilian deaths in Afghanistan fall 20 percent, says UN


Reported security incidents
#1: A solder from Wilkes County who was seriously wounded in Afghanistan Sunday is scheduled to be flown from a hospital in Germany to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on Friday. Although Pfc. Chance Cleary is still in a coma from the blast of an improvised explosive device (IED) Sunday in Afghanistan and his long-term prognosis is uncertain.

#2: Four young children were killed on Friday when a mortar slammed into their family's vehicle as they attempted to escape Shalobar area of Khyber Agency, officials said. Two close female relatives were wounded in the incident in Khyber, where the military is fighting against local warlord Mangal Bagh and his Lashkar-e-Islam faction. Syed Ahmad Jan, another government official, said the family was leaving the Shalobar area of Khyber after authorities issued evacuation orders warning that the military was planning to expand its offensive on May 10. "There was an exchange of fire between militants and troops," Khan told, saying that a "stray mortar" had hit the family's vehicle.

#3: A television reporter, his brother and a friend were gunned down by unidentified men in Sindh province of southern Pakistan, according to a media report today. Aurangzeb Tunio, a correspondent for KTN, the most popular news channel in Sindh, was killed with his brother Rustam Tunio and friend Deedar Khaskheli at Lalurounk town of Qambar district last night. Tunio was sitting in his office when a group of 20 armed men arrived there and opened fire, killing the three men instantly, Dawn newspaper reported.

#4: A powerful blast rocked Jalalabad city in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan on Friday.

#5: Eight people, including five children, were killed on Thursday when two roadside bombings went off in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, a provincial police spokesman said. "A roadside bomb was detonated by a remote control in Musulmanai area of Musa Qala district at about 10 a.m. Thursday, killing seven civilian including five children and a woman," spokesman Farid Ahmad Farhang told Xinhua. One man was injured in the incident, he said. He said a Local Police Force (ALP) unit arrived shortly after the blast but another bomb was exploded killing one ALP serviceman on the spot.

#6: Local officials in eastern Kunar province on Thursday announced several Taliban militants were killed following joint military operations by Afghan and coalition security forces. Provincial governor spokesman Wasifullah Wasifi said the operation was conducted at Nanrang district of easern Kunar province to clear the area from the militants. In the meantime Narang district chief confirming the report said dead bodies of two Taliban militants were found in the area and Afghan security forces have launched a search operation to find the remaining militants. Taliban militants confirmed the death of two Taliban fighters following the clashes and said 10 Afghan and coalition forces were also killed during the operation. However local officials denied Taliban’s claims and said Afghan and coalition security forces did not suffer any casualties.

#7: According local security officials in eastern Khost province, two militants who were planting improvised explosive device were killed following an air raid by international coalition security forces in this province. Provincial security chief Mohammad Yaqoob confirming the report said the militants were killed at Sabari district.

#8: In the meantime Taliban militants group claimed at least 4 NATO troops were killed following a roadside bomb explosion at Laknaw district of eastern Khost province. Local security officials confirmed an explosion took place at Laknaw district and said no one was killed or injured followng the incident.

Posted by whisker at 3:09 AM

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