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Many of the insider attacks for which the Taliban take responsibility actually start off as offers by enraged Afghan soldiers and police officers, Matthew Rosenberg reported in The Times on Thursday.

“Many senior coalition and Afghan officials are now concluding that after nearly 12 years of war, the view of foreigners held by many Afghans has come to mirror that of the Taliban,” he wrote.

Through telephone and through written responses to questions, he told the story of a 22-year-old man, named simply Mahmood, who opened fire on American service members on May 11 in an outpost in Kunar Province, killing one and wounding two others.

Mr. Mahmood said that day was his “proudest,” and he was welcomed by the Taliban.

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My Comment: While Afghanistan is not the Afghanistan of 2001 .... the cultural/tribal/sectarian differences still remain .... and with U.S./NATO forces now leaving .... there will be nothing to constrain and/or hold in check the deeply held animosities that exist among Afghans themselves. While I do understand that many Afghans may not have a positive view of the U.S. and NATO today .... this pales when compared to the hostility that exists (and has existed for centuries) among the many tribal and sectarian groups that make up Afghanistan today. The hatred has always been there .... and now with the foreigners leaving, that hatred (I predict) will be directed amongst themselves.

As to the option of leaving a few thousand U.S. troops (after 2014) behind to watch over this mess .... this is a deployment that will be very dangerous .... and totally useless.