December 27, 2002

  Turkmenistan and Pakistan sighed a deal with Afghanistan to build a natural gas pipeline from gas fields in Turkmenistan to a Pakistani port. The two billion dollar construction project will bring jobs to all three countries, and running the pipeline will mean regular income for Afghanistan and Pakistan. But now those nations will have to protect the pipeline from rebels and terrorists.

American infantry patrols and aerial reconnaissance are paying off, with hostile Afghans and Pakistanis being caught setting up rocket attacks in eastern Afghanistan. These men often travel from Pakistan to make attacks and, increasingly, US infantry are intercepting them. If the men are armed, there is often a firefight, with the Afghans either fleeing or getting arrested.