Over and over again, the same story plays out: a local power-broker is willing, even eager, to support the new US-backed government, only to be denounced as a Taliban member by a fellow Afghan – typically for local political or personal reasons – to unwitting American troops. Indeed, this pattern recurs in the accounts of anyone who has lived in Afghanistan, spoken the language, and understood the workings of patronage and power there.
同样的故事一次又一次上演：当地的权力掮客愿意、甚至迫不及待地支持以美国人为后台的新政府，目的仅仅是被阿富汗同胞在毫不知情的美军面前指责为加入塔利班&mdash;&mdash;他们往往出于地方政治或个人原因才会这样做。事实上，这种模式在阿富汗居民、阿富汗语使用者和了解当地依附和权力运作规则的人那里屡见不鲜。往往是这些被谴责者遭到拘留和折磨长达数年之久。