The bloody war in Afghanistan is nearing a final tipping point

The Taliban escalated its campaign a week ago, moving to seize provincial capitals that have fallen like a row of dominoes and mounting a surprisingly sophisticated campaign. They moved early in the north, knowing that this region had spawned the Northern Alliance under Ahmad Shah Massoud that drove the Taliban from power in 2001. The Taliban deployed their own version of special operations forces, known as “red units,” which helped break government defenses. When the Taliban seized provincial capitals such as Kunduz, they freed prisoners held there, augmenting their forces.