Afghanistan: The Battle for the Ring Road

Afghanistan has never had particularly robust transportation infrastructure, but efforts are being made to improve it. These include completion of the "Ring Road," a looping 2,000-mile network that is already of pivotal importance to the U.S./NATO war effort, since it is designed to link four key population centers and is necessary to facilitate the movement of military supplies. Indeed, the Ring Road and the people who live along it will be crucial in the ongoing campaign against the Taliban.