The Taliban is very unpopular in AfPak
Christiane Amanpour just return from Afghanistan and said on a CNN talk show today that polls in both Afghanistan and Pakistan show Taliban support around 1%.
The people there want jobs and services, not rule from fanatics. (maybe a message here for republicans: People without enough government like the idea of having running water, electric power, public schools, sewers, fire departments, ambulances, traffic lights, etc.)