We know, for example, that according to the CIA Fact Bookthe population of Afghanistan, a few months back, was just under 27 millionpeople. Life expectancy at birth was 47 years. More than two thirds ofAfghanistan’s citizens were not only unlikely to reach 50 years of age, butwere also illiterate. Telephone service and use was sporadic. There were about100,000 TVs, or less than one for every 200 citizens. In the whole country,there were 24 kilometers of railroad—yes, that’s what the CIA site Iconsulted said—and under 3,000 kilometers of paved road, or roughly the sameas a single highway across the U.S. If that’s off, the point is still evident.There were ten airports with paved runways.