AdvertisementAs The Clock Ticks, U.S. Forces Scale Back Afghan GoalsMay 30, 2013Tom BowmanfacebookEmailThe gray line in the upper left comes from an aerial view of Afghanistan's crucial Highway 1, the main route between Kabul and Kandahar, the two biggest cities. U.S. forces are still working to secure the route which runs through lush farm valleys and the high desert terrain. (NPR)