Nearly 500 inmates escaped an Afghan prison last April, highlighting some major deficiencies in the country’s security infrastructure. Despite that, U.S. efforts in Afghanistan may be much more high-tech than many realize. Recently, U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan and Iraq have been taking eye scans and fingerprints to compile a large database of biometric information on prisoners and civilians alike. About 35 escapees have been recaptured after their identities were confirmed using this data. Thom Shanker, Pentagon correspondent for our partner, The New York Times, has a story about the new technology in today’s paper.