Afghanistan: A Tally of Taliban Influence

The prognosis for a settlement to the longest-running war in U.S. history is looking poor. On Jan. 31, the BBC released a significant study on the extent of militant presence and control over Afghanistan. According to the BBC, the Taliban have full control over 14 districts and an open presence in 263 more. In other words, jihadist insurgents are now active in 70 percent of Afghanistan's 398 districts....