The real key take-away from the article is not that it is bandits taking over, but rather that the insurgency in the North-West of a different flavour than in the south or the east.

The over-simplification that the insurgency in Afghanistan is a Pashtun endeavour and that "the others" are on "our side" is simply not accurate. It ignores the fact that there are several significant Uzbek terrorist groups and insurgent networks that have been operating throughout Afghanistan and Central Asia for a long time. It also ignores the fact that among the common Uzbek there is little love for the Afghan government, who is widely regarded as a tool for a corrupt, Pashtun elite from Kabul who has done little to nothing for the Uzbeks in the North. It also ignores that the Taliban at the height of their power was able to recruit a significant amount of both Uzbeks and to a certain extent Tajiks.

This is the context this article needs to be read in. When now the Uzbek villages of Qeysar are facing an "invasion" of Taliban insurgents operating out of the Taliban controlled areas of Northern Badghis, they are faced with a simple choice. The government, that they generally have little love for, and the CF in Faryab, a province of about 1.2 million inhabitants, are less numerous than the current ANSF/CF force maintaining control over the town of Marja in Helmand. They may not have a natural inclination towards the Taliban, but the situation right now dictates that they follow the basic rule of Afghan village life developed over the last 30 years: accept the strongest party in your neighbourhood.

What then about Dostum and his structure you might ask? Well. The trend is clear. His structure is crumbling at a very fast pace at the moment. Just over the last two months several of his old commanders has been assassinated as well as the kidnapping of one of the Junbesh parliamentary candidates by insurgents. His response? A couple of rants on Aina TV and little else.

Just to give you an indication. The total number of security forces in Faryab is one ANA kandak, 1300 ANP and one field artillery battalion for a popualtion of about 1.2 million. Do the math, and you'll see that there is little to prevent the insurgents from dominating the villages in the countryside.