Shkin: The Far Outpost Of The Fight Against Terrorism in Afghanistan

SHKIN, AFGHANISTAN - OCTOBER 19: US Army soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division (Watertown, NY) patrol October 19, 2003 through Shkin Bazaar in Paktika Province, Afghanistan, as a Pashtun man watches the soldiers. The southeasterrn Afghan-Pakistan border region is inundated with Taliban forces crossing over from South Waziristan, Pakistan and attempting to take control of the Pashtun provinces inside Afghanistan. US forces patrol heavily but are often given little cooperation from the Pakistani frontier troops who are most likely infiltrated by Taliban and al Qaeda members. The border is no more than 1-2 miles away from Shkin Bazaar. The Afghan National Army is also based in Shkin and receives training from the US Army. (Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)