Minor correction; the Taliban were definitely a ruthless group of insurgents who did usurp the legitimate government in a bloody civil war in the 90s. Which the world pretty much ignored at the time. And they did harbour/support Osama bin Laden and his crowd.
Unfortunately, the world - and the US especially - ignored the one man who could have provided a legitimate, reasonably stable and supportable government in Afghanistan; September 9th was a greater tragedy to the Afghans than 9/11 was to the US.
