I've been digging around for more detailed information about Afghanistan and neighboring countries. Afghanistan is basically buried in countries with whom our relations are not great and all of whom have human rights and national stability problems to some degree or another. It's not a pretty region. Afghanistan has basically been under invasion from one quarter or another for the bulk of human history. Alexander the great and Ghenghis Kahn both conquored it (at great human cost to the inhabitants). The British Empire also fought battles there and the Russians fought their equivalent of Vient Nam there. There's a lot of great info about Afghanistan, world terrorism, and the US terrorism readiness here: Terrorism Project - Center for Defense Information. Also, a good map of Arghanistan.