Bamiyan Provice, Afghanistan: something goes right

[Entropy]

The majority of the population are Hazara and so no mention of Taliban activity.

There's the reason things look (comparatively) good there. Afghanistan's insurgency is mostly Pashtun.

[TDB]

There's the reason things look (comparatively) good there. Afghanistan's insurgency is mostly Pashtun.

Mostly, yet not entirely. While I don't know the exact size of the Pashtun population in Bamiyan there is no reason to suspect the Taliban is not present there. Or for that matter other groups. Just look at Kunduz, the province does have a sizavble population of Pashtuns which were infiltrated by Talibs. However, as I understand it anyway, the Uzbek population has also been riled up by Uzbek militants crossing over the border.

As I recall, wasn't Bamiyan the sight of the murder of a British aid worker and her collegues not so long ago.

While I agree with your point that the most fearce aspects of the insurgency are largely confined to the South and East of the country (including the capitol) I don't think we can dismiss Bamiyan.

It might well be worth looking into ISAF troop levels, ethnic and tribal relations in the area. Was the province victim to local strongmen after the invasion. How were tribal rivalries before and after. Furthermore, how good has local government been. All of these seemed to have been major factors in allowing the resurgence of the Taliban in the south, other than Pashtun nationalism.

[davidbfpo]

TDB,

You asked:

As I recall, wasn't Bamiyan the sight of the murder of a British aid worker and her collegues not so long ago.

No, the aid worker, Linda Norgrove, was kidnapped in:

..in October 2010..in Dewagal valley, in eastern Kunar province

She was later killed in an rescue attempt.

In August 2010:

British doctor Karen Woo and nine other aid workers and translators were killed by gunmen, in the north-eastern province of Badakhshan

From:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11507313

I don't recall another UK aid worker being killed.

[TDB]

Yeah, there's no excuse for my laziness on that front. I do recall something involving Bamiyan but is escapes me.