ISLAMABAD -- The empty trailers along the road from the Afghan capital of Kabul to the border with neighboring Pakistan serve as powerful reminders of what Afghanistan's Islamic rulers -- the Taliban -- have achieved in the four years since they took control of most of their Central Asian country's territory.
The trailers once housed troops loyal to different Afghan tribal leaders, who not only fought with each other, but also forced travelers on Afghanistan's main roads to buy their safe passage -- either with cash or valuables -- before being allowed to proceed.
Since the Taliban captured almost 90 percent of Afghanistan, they have acted to make the country's roads safe for travelers. To much of the outside world, they remain a radical lot, forcing women, for example, to eschew professional careers and shutting down girls' schools. At the same time, though, they have succeeded in improving security, as the safer conditions on the roads illustrate.