Losing Pakistan

Taliban militants are beheading and burning their way through Pakistan's picturesque Swat Valley, and residents say the insurgents now control most of the mountainous region far from the lawless tribal areas where jihadists thrive....

Militants began preying on Swat's lush mountain ranges about two years ago, and it is now too dangerous for foreign and Pakistani journalists to visit. Interviews with residents, lawmakers and officials who have fled the region paint a dire picture....

The 3,500-square-mile Swat Valley lies less than 100 miles from the capital, Islamabad.

The amazing thing is that Swat was so safe just a few years ago that it was a tourist destination. Now, it's looking likely to be a launching pad for terror attacks against the capitol.