Photo Essay: Springtime for the Taliban

U.S. intelligence agencies are sounding the alarm about the threat posed by Islamist insurgents in Pakistan’s tribal badlands. But it is difficult to imagine just how brazen the militants have become until you see them in action.

Living in the open: Seven years after their brethren were forced out of power in Afghanistan, the Taliban are the de facto governing authority in many parts of neighboring Pakistan. The U.S. State Department has described parts of the North-West Frontier Province and Federally Administered Tribal Areas as a safe haven for [al Qaeda] terrorists, Afghan insurgents, and other extremists.

Photo: TARIQ MAHMOOD/AFP/Getty Images

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