Four things struck me about this article.

The first is that it describes an invasion and occupation of an area by an outside force that then ruled mostly by terror. The villagers had no real choice in the matter though some perceived service is provided; and the occupiers aren't locals. The scene is reminiscent of the the opening scenes in the Magnificent Seven, bandits move in and take the place over.

The second thing is that the American force briefly fought the Taliban and then withdrew, according to the article, because of concern about property damage and disrupting the observation of Ramadan! If the article is correct, a big if, whoever was in charge of that unit handed the Taliban a victory for rather poor reasons.

Thirdly, the Taliban have a huge mobility advantage. They are described as using the desert and motorcycles almost as the Vikings used the sea. They drive around and strike from the desert at will. The Faryab governor implies we are not doing much about it.

The fourth thing is, surprise surprise, the threat is coming from Pakistan.