[captain_price7]

> if you had one side giving you aid (food/medicine) in exchange for support

I'm afraid you have an awfully rosy version of what life was like for an average rural afghan under American rule.

Here are some links to get started-

- https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/world/asia/us-soldiers-to...

- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/09/us-soldiers-af...

- https://news.abs-cbn.com/global-filipino/world/01/12/12/outr...

[nickff]

I've left out a lot of detail, because I was writing a comment, not a treatise. I also left out how the Taliban fighters routinely raped the widows and children of their opponents, as well as the Taliban's horrific history of brutality.

In addition to all of these atrocities, there are a number of outliers, such as those you pointed out.