Think Tank: Taliban return to most of Afghanistan

KABUL (AP) - A London-based think tank says that nearly eight years after the U.S. drove the Taliban from power, the Islamist militia has returned to most of Afghanistan.

The International Council on Security and Development reports that the Taliban have a permanent presence in about 80 percent of the country.

That's up from 72 percent in November 2008 and 54 percent of Afghanistan in November 2007, the group said Thursday.

The group reported a sharp rise in Taliban activity in recent months in the north, a formerly peaceful area.

U.S. forces and their allies drove the Taliban from power after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Spokeswoman Jane Francis said the group's data is based on reports from a team in Afghanistan.
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