Thanks for this. Unfortunately our military decision-making system and our civil governance system (still) doesn't take advantage of what people like you on the ground know to be obvious.

Write a book,...we need more insight from on the ground like this.

In that vein, and relevant to your comment about not being Russians, if people want a re-presentation of Afghanistan and Afghans as experienced by an independent journalist during the Russian attempt to conquer it, read "Night Letters: Inside Wartime Afghanistan" by Rob Schultheis.

Your piece here reminded me of reading this years ago. He describes, among other back stories, how and why the Taliban got their original power, money, and weapons - thru major support from the USA.

He also renders extremely well the fierce and unconquerable nature of the land and its people thru history. And as you write in your blog, he reflects on "...how little we really knew about this country, how little we cared about their tribal structures or beliefs or desires, what they wanted their country to look like."