How America Created the Enemy It Feared Most: The United States killed its own allies, sabotaging itself in a part of Afghanistan where it never needed to be. – NYT Gift Article

A feature report on how American actions in Afghanistan turned an independently minded province of Afghanistan, that had previously rejected Taliban rule, into a focal point for the Afghanistan insurgency. Most strikingly, is how US forces would bomb the local factions which were most in their favor. This wasn’t a one time thing either, several incidents were the local elders who were most in favor of American development would suffer personal losses from US military actions and go over to supporting the Taliban.

The article ends noting that the residents of Nuristan are now once again starting to gripe about the Taliban’s attempt to tax and govern the province.