Public beatings and executions are routine inside the Taliban’s Afghanistan. But the group remains rooted in an extreme interpretation of Islamic law that appears to leave no room for compromise with the more liberal laws in government-held parts of Afghanistan. Interviews with 19 civilians living or working in Taliban territory reveal a governing force capable of making slight changes - such as rules on beard length - to appease local communities.

How the Taliban governs - and how its tactics have changed over time - provides a window into how the group might rule if it reaches a political settlement with the Afghan government. Over the years, it has captured territory across the country and today exercises control or influence over at least half of Afghanistan. The Taliban is stronger now than it has been since it was forced from power in 2001. Torture and imprisonment are widely used for infringements as minor as possessing the wrong SIM card. But in those same places, harsh, often public punishments remain common. In other provinces, clinics funded by international aid groups are now allowed to function. In one district, elders successfully lobbied Taliban fighters to open a high school for girls. But overall, fear and intimidation remain at the heart of the militant group’s command. KABUL - Over two decades of conflict and politicking, Taliban control in Afghanistan has become a patchwork of edicts and codes, with some areas seeing modest reform.

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