The Other War

Without comment:

The New York Times leads with word from southern Afghanistan, where Taliban fighters have driven government troops out of a key strategic area within striking distance of Kandahar.

A year ago, Canadian and American troops drove hundreds of Taliban fighters out of the Panjwai and Zhare districts southwest of Kandahar. In the last six weeks, though, insurgents have reclaimed control of a broad tract of the region, highlighting a bloody stalemate that is emerging across the country: Insurgents are no match for NATO troops in a pitched battle but can easily overpower or intimidate local police forces once Western soldiers leave. Officials in southern provinces said the Taliban's successes came as the group gained broader support, evolving from a close-knit ideological movement into a looser alliance of tribes disenchanted with the central government.