The CIDG program (Civilian Irregular Defense Groups) worked in Vietnam, and its equivalent has worked in Anbar, lagely because the local groups were organized to defend themselves against "foreigners". As Brookes points out, the Taleban are part of the native indigenous population of the Northwest Territories. They are "family".
For the U.S. plan to work, there must be a divisive issue over which the Pashtun are willing to fight and die for among themselves. I can't imagine what that could be. They intermarry. They share the same culture; and they have fought and suffered together in struggles against Greeks, Persians, British, Russians, Americans and Punjabs for centuries.
What these Pashtun share together is a strong desire to be left alone. Every power that tried to interfere with that -from the Persians and Greeks to the British and the Russians- have ultimaately decided that they be best left alone. Eventually, so will we.
