July 11, 2006: The basic problem in Afghanistan remains the lack of nation-wide police forces. There has never been such a force, with most Afghans depending on armed tribesmen for defense from bandits, or hostile gunmen from other tribes. It was accepted that young men would go off and attack people from other tribes, giving rise to a constant threat from "bandits" (as these nasty lads were often called). The Taliban suppressed a lot of this mayhem by threatening even more violent retribution. Now the Taliban are coming back and encouraging the freelance violence, and getting away with it to a certain extent. It's the Afghan way.
July 10, 2006: Britain is sending another battalion of infantry (900 troops) to Afghanistan, to help deal with the Taliban Summer offensive. There are a lot more Taliban to chase down, and more leads from UAVs and Afghans to give the troops someone specific to go after.
July 7, 2006: American and Coalition troops, continue to pursue leads from informants, raiding compounds in southern Afghanistan and killing 10-40 Taliban fighters each time. Smart bombs are often used to make the attacks. This is happening several times a week. The Taliban move through the hills, stopping at villages and demanding shelter and food. Few villages can say no to over a hundred armed men. But some villagers can get on the radio or satellite phone and call the police.
July 6, 2006: Taliban continue to set off bombs in Kabul and Kandahar. This is difficult for the Taliban because, while they have adherents (of their Islamic conservative doctrine) in the cities, the bombings make life difficult for all pro-Taliban Afghans, and more difficult to assist Taliban terror activities.