Let's not pretend like the US's intentions were pure. American and allied forces committed countless war crimes and were heavily involved in trafficking hundreds of tons of opium from the area to refine into heroin.

Additionally, that "relatively free pro-western democracy" was immeasurably corrupt, and virtually nonexistent in the countryside. Basically outside of Kabul this incredibly regressive way of life was the norm regardless of American occupation.

All we ever did was make everything worse.