World | Afghanistan
Militants thriving on pot-holed roads
Paved roadways are 'essential not only for economy but also for security'.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:38 May 16, 2008
Khost: Afghanistan is remarkably devoid of proper roads given its size and a population approaching 30 million. There are just 34,000 km of useable roadway in the country, of which less than a quarter is paved.
Better roads are essential not only for the economy but also for security, since police and the army can get more quickly to remote, unstable areas. Paved roads also make it much harder for the Taliban to plant explosives on pot-holed, dirty tracks.
"If we pave roads, there's almost an automatic shift of explosives to other areas because it makes it so much more difficult for the enemy to emplace them. Roads here mean security," says Colonel Pete Johnson, commander of US forces in southeast Afghanistan. Since 2002, the US has built 1,700 kilometres of new paved roads. The latest, much-awaited project is to build a 101 kilometres long road from Khost in southeastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border.
Afghanistan
Afghan child labour may rise as aid dried up
People smugglers
Rebels 'to retake Kabul after Nato withdrawal'
Afghan woman killed for giving birth to girl
Afghan woman killed, apparently for bearing girl
Britain sticks to 2014 pull-out
It's a new start for Afghanistan
Afghans hit by rising food prices
More from World
News Editor's choice
-
6,000 cups and counting: Addicted to that tea
This cafeteria in Al Mamzar attracts thousands of customers daily, including the rich and not so rich
-
Swimming pool horror: Twins hospitalised
Twins rushed to hospital after collapsing from chlorine inhalation at swimming pool in their villa
-
Play your cards right with credit card interest
UAE Central Bank plans to cap interest rates, but are you paying thirty-five per cent now?
