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 17, 2012

War News for Monday, September 17, 2012


Reported security incidents
#1:  Eight women were killed and eight women wounded in a Nato air strike shortly before dawn on Sunday in a remote area east of Kabul, an Afghan official said. Nato’s US-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said it had targeted insurgents, but had been made aware of “possible Isaf-caused civilian casualties” numbering five to eight, and extended its sincerest condolences over the “tragic loss of life”.
 
#2: 44 Taliban militants have been killed in military operations in different Afghan provinces, the Interior Ministry said Monday. "Afghan National Police (ANP), Afghan army and intelligence agency in collaboration with the NATO-led coalition forces launched seven operations in Kunar, Nangarhar, Kunduz, Wardak, Logar, Paktia and Helmand provinces, killing 44 armed Taliban insurgents and detaining 20 others within the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement. The statement did not disclose if there were any casualties on the side of security forces.


DoD: Sgt. Kyle B. Osborn

MoD: Lance Corporal Duane Groom

MoD: Sergeant Gareth Thursby

MoD: Private Thomas Wroe

3 comments:

Dancewater said...

the NATO bombers cannot tell women from men, or sticks from weapons.

ditto for the drone bombers.

Dancewater said...

From the Afghan Peace Volunteers:

Please Join Us on the
International Day of Peace
click on photo
for video sharing joy
of an Afghan girl
September 21, 2012
Conversation starts at 4:30 pm Afghanistan time
8 am Eastern USA, 2 pm Egypt

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amcsq8Ni42MNdEFDUXRrNU14eWlBVDF6VW1zcThKRUE#gid=0


The Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers called us together four years ago.
Their open and sincere desire for peace, their reminder that listening to the ordinary people of others places we do find the deep desire that human beings treat humanity by walking several days in each other's shoes.
The Volunteers hope to talk with all of you who have been there for them all these months, and now years.

Two years ago the AYPVInternational Day of Peace conversation became the first global day of listening.

As the conflicts continue in Afghanistan civilians' last days continue each week.
The Afghan Peace Volunteers invite us to keep
in regular communication with each other.

Shawn Elan said...

how about this one:
Suicide bomber kills 5 in western Afghanistan
(http://urdutahzeeb.net/current-affairs/news/nato-not-to-leave-afghanistan-prematurely-secretary-general)