By Noah Shachtman
[Photo: Noah Shachtman]
That’s according to Colonel Wayne Shanks, a spokesman for the U.S. military effort there, and dogged researcher Nick Turse. About 400 belong to NATO and American forces; the rest are in the hands of the Afghan National Army.
A few of these bases are huge; Kandahar Air Field could house as many as 35,000 by next year. Most are tiny — a few hesco barriers surrounding a makeshift command post.
The number will almost certainly grow, as more NATO troops execute top commander General Stanley McChrystal’s dictum to live among the local population. But already, it shows just how extensive NATO’s presence is in Afghanistan, and how far the troops are stretched out.