IF THEY GET IT RIGHT WE WON...:

Much of the initial response by politicians, pundits and media was to shrilly tie themselves in knots over the incoming horrors. But Terry is continuing to do what he does best -- operate asymmetrically -- and defy expectations. The Taliban appear, for now, to be applying moderation and restraint.

Of course, it may not last. The Taliban could prove true to the former type. But they may continue to surprise. Perhaps that lurks behind some of the more emotional reactions: a subconscious fear that the Taliban could do a decent job -- the benchmark set by the Afghan government of our backing hasn't been positioned high -- because where would that leave our self-satisfied progressive identity and capabilities?

The leftfield present moment is forcing media and others to leave aside prejudices and finally grapple with the crucial question of whether it is the same Taliban. Because Terry, in addition to being tenacious, does have brains. The Taliban's leaders are not idiots. They know they can't get away with the same things as before if they want to retain power long-term.

In a recent interview with CNN, Saad Mohseni, CEO Of Afghanistan's largest media conglomerate Moby Media Group, described how the Taliban faces a shifting societal makeup in Afghanistan. This includes stronger media and increased acceptance and respect for females and minorities, which offers some light to those weighing the sacrifices and what it was all for.

Suddenly a lot of people have become geo-political experts specializing in Afghanistan

Cogitating about the bad guys in such a way is asking a lot of those Guardian, New York Times and Economist readers to embrace moral outrage. Admittedly, at this early stage, a more pragmatic and reasonable side to the Taliban remains a huge unknown. Mohseni isn't optimistic and says the country has been "left in the lurch" through the suddenness of the withdrawal. It's hard to argue against that.

But the current collective wail of lamentation over Afghanistan becoming the greatest foreign policy disaster is rather late. It happened years ago, when many of those now throwing up their hands were conveniently silent, leaving veterans to wrestle with the associated guilt and shame that has driven many to take their own lives.  [...]

We just don't know what will happen next in Afghanistan. As unpalatable as it seems to many, the West has little choice but to diplomatically engage its enemy in Afghanistan with a tempered respect, rather than condemn them outright as the embodiment of evil. The international community needs to watch the Taliban like hawks, and call them out, certainly, but if we want them to apply nuance, we need to show some too.

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