I must confess that whenever I set out to the valley I'm not sure if I'll return alive

Last year about nine journalists were killed

The arrival of Taliban militants in Pakistan's Swat valley has sparked a rapid decline in civil rights. Schools have been destroyed, entertainment banned and opponents of the regime beheaded. Thousands have fled and are living in temporary camps in safer areas of the country.

The Swat valley was once a flourishing tourist paradise; people from all over the country came to see its mountains and crystal streams. The local people are mostly non-tribal and governed by a peaceful provincial government. It was a calm place, but that was before the Taliban established itself here in August 2007.

Now the Taliban are calling the shots in the Swat valley, too

Most of the people in Swat are now leaving the valley. There are about 400,000 displaced Swat residents