Afghan Villages Caught in the Middle

It is hard to tell if we are winning or losing in Afghanistan.  The insurgency seems to have spread and the Taliban has managed to win over (whether willingly or not) the support of a lot of the population in the rural areas.  Some of that support comes through intimidation.  A recent news article describes how that works.  Read "Afghans' Fear of Reprisal Stands in the Way of U.S. Strategy", Politics Daily, August 30, 2010.