We know the Taliban are making rather quick headway to take over territory since the US withdrawal. We also know the Afghanistan army hasn't been extremely effective and isn't very well equipped, notably in air support capability.

It's not necessarily a question of courage either - Afghan military casualties have been high in the last few years, this war has been taking a large toll on their troops. But they have received at least some fairly good Western equipment, I assume.

It seems odd, though not unprecedented, to see rebels making such quick headway. South Vietnam in 1975 might come to mind, but that was a conventional invasion by North Vietnam.

We also know many locals, not just people associated with Western forces in the past, indicate apprehension at the return of the Taliban. They weren't very pleasant the last time they held power, 20 years ago. However, the Taliban were also relatively well-accepted initially, in 1994, as they were displacing Afghan warlords who had made life miserable for civilians for years. (Well-accepted may be stretching it, but they encountered little opposition).

Finally, we know that the Afghanistan government has, at least in the past, suffered from a lack of legitimacy. Some of the past elections were rigged and corruption seems endemic.

So, do we know what proportion of Afghans back the Taliban's return to power? Are they, in Mao's words, fish swimming amongst a sea of support by the population as a whole? Are they accepted with resignation, in the hope that peace comes back? Or is a majority people opposed to their return?

(Yes, I fully realize how incongruous it is to ask about anything resembling an opinion poll in Afghanistan right now. I'd be interested in any credible press coverage).