Among the Talibros

"Three hostages kneel in front of a camera, their hands tied behind their backs and their heads covered with black plastic bags that obscure their faces. Looming behind them is a group of bearded, glowering militants, dressed in tunics and turbans, some holding assault rifles. "We have one message for America," the man standing in the middle says, with one hand resting on the shoulder of the kneeling figure in front of him, the other hand jabbing the air to emphasize his speech."

"Thankfully, this video took a different turn. The speaker removes the bag from the face of the man kneeling before him, who then proceeds to flash a Hollywood smile and give an emphatic thumbs-up. "Welcome to Afghanistan!" he says straight into the camera, after which a montage of Westerners posing for pictures in mountain glens and doing pullups on the barrels of tank guns starts to play."

"Yosaf Aryubi, an Afghan American in his late twenties, made the video as an advertisement for his travel agency, Raza Afghanistan, which organizes tours of the country. Aryubi, who splits his time between Afghanistan and California, plays the role of would-be executor, while Jake Youngblood Dobbs, an American travel influencer who was on a tour with Raza at the time, is the ersatz victim whom Aryubi unveils."

Alt-travel influencers produce staged, sensationalized content that presents dangerous regions as accessible adventure opportunities. Some portray dramatic scenes and partner with local guides or agencies to market tours in conflict zones. Performative footage often omits local suffering, security risks, and the political dynamics that enable violence. Such content can normalize encounters with armed groups, risk travelers' safety, and expose local communities to reprisals or exploitation. Social media amplification can lend de facto endorsement from armed actors or sympathetic accounts. The mix of tourism promotion and provocative imagery raises questions about propaganda, ethics, misinformation, and the real costs borne by residents.

Read at The New Yorker