In the Taliban's Grip

The New York Times has produced a map that highlights the Taliban's reach in Afghanistan. The data for the map was provided by The Long War Journal. The Taliban have a pervasive influence in large swaths of the country; half of Afghanistan is either contested by the Taliban or under Taliban control. The map highlights the challenges the US and NATO face as they prepare to 'surge' more forces into the country to wrest control from the Taliban, reestablish security and governance, and transition security to the beleaguered Afghan government.