Afghans in a battle-scarred valley welcomed Taliban rule, but expect more

A boy stands amidst trees in the Tangi Valley where a river and irrigation ditches water crops of tomatoes, sunflowers, grapes and apricots. During the war the remote mountain valleys were the scene of brutal combat and attacks on civilians. (Claire Harbage/NPR)

TANGI VALLEY, Afghanistan — One year after the Taliban captured Afghanistan, people see their new rulers one way in the city — and another way in the countryside.

The urban-rural divide was apparent during the war, when Kabul became a center of media, commerce, women's rights and education, while remote mountain valleys were the scene of brutal combat and attacks on civilians.