Militias Secure War-Torn Swat Valley

The Taliban are on the run in the Swat Valley in Pakistan, but what has sprung up in their place is far from ideal. Militia groups are taking the duty of policing the region where the Pakistani government once ceded control to the Taliban, and are walking the streets armed with AK-47s, pitchforks, and other weapons. The Guardian reports that one militia group has at least 2,000 men, and that they have seized control of one wealthy Taliban commander's mansion, referring to it as "the spoils of war." The militias are policing the region with the blessing of the government. Still, arming militia groups does not have a very favorable history in the AfPak region, and there is concern that score-settling will take the place of the rule of law.