Freedom Is On The Death March

In the meantime, Afghanistan is moving right along. Zabol province, incidentally, is defined by Wikipedia as "the only Afghan province in which the Taliban have named (in the post-U.S. invasion of Afghanistan era) their own governor and officials to rival those appointed by the government in Kabul."

"Taliban militants kidnapped and hanged a pro-government tribal chief in southern Afghanistan, government officials said Saturday.
Malik Agha Jan and five other family members were abducted in a southern district of Zabol province. Some accounts said they were seized Thursday, while others said Friday...
The killing marked the second time in a week that a local leader accused of having ties to the U.S. military had been slain in Afghanistan's restive south. In addition, suspected Taliban rebels have killed four Islamic clerics since late May, apparently because they supported the U.S.-backed government of President Hamid Karzai..."

They're not impressed by the prospect of the free market and the entreprenuerial spirit free-floating in the Hindu Kush.

"At least four districts of Zabol province are controlled by Taliban and Al Qaeda groups at nighttime," Latfullah Mashal, an Interior Ministry spokesman, said in a recent interview.
Because of the instability in Zabol, almost no development or reconstruction has occurred there since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan that ousted the Taliban government...
The U.S. military operates an intelligence network in the province and occasionally raids villages and homes. U.S. forces have engaged in heavy fighting in Zabol since May, killing more than 100 suspected rebels.
The fighting seems to have fostered anti-American sentiment in Zabol and fueled support for the Taliban."

And I'll bet the women aren't getting out of the house much, either. Maybe they should send Pickles down.