The 19th century British fort that domi-nates the skyline above Qalat offers an easy reference point for low flying Apache helicopters heading for the America base near the town, the capital of Afghanistan's southern province of Zabul. Yet despite being backed by impressive foreign muscle, the government's control in Qalat barely reaches the city limits. On the Pakistani border, deep in the conservative Pushtun belt from which Mullah Omar's movement first emerged to gain control of Afghanistan, Zabul remains Taliban country. Security has deteriorated so badly on the Kabul to Kandahar highway that 17 new emplacements were built along a 60-kilometre (40-mile) stretch north of Qalat in June. The road is beginning to look like the Maginot line.
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