Afghanistan Pipeline

One of the more misguided conspiracy theories of my lifetime was the idea that the U.S. toppled the Taliban because they wanted to build a pipeline. That being said, however, the pipeline project is again underway, though still in the early stages. What I like in the article is that many seem to see the pipeline as part of Afghanistan's reconstruction rather than something to follow it. Afghanistan's best hope for long-term economic stability is if it becomes a transit route for trade across Asia, a major problem because trade routes bypass areas of instability. If this project is carried through, I would even suggest the U.S. and our allies offer troops to guard such a pipeline, despite how it would look to many in the West.