Ignorance of the Pushtun people and the Taliban faction is appalling. There are some 40 million Pushtun, mostly Sunni Muslims, whose conservative ways are different from ours- in many ways 'biblical' and far removed from western democracy, which could take a couple or more generations to become meaningful to them.
Their central homeland is mostly Pakistan and parts of Afganistan, especially that part of 'Pakistan' which cannot be controlled by the Pakistan government. The Taliban are the young, 'students,' who are becoming increasingly militant.
Those chased out of Afganistan are returning and starting to put up a good fight. The 'insurgency' there could last a long time- until the U. S. realizes that the Taliban is not just a few militants and winning is impossible.