No, that's not what the article is saying. The article is pointing out that Afghanistan is a collection of locally governed regions that is almost impossible to govern with a centralized approach.

The Taliban are probably the most successful at administering through one authority, but they use terror and a harsh shariah code to get things done, and they know the territory better than we do, even after our 20 years there.

No foreign nation has ever successfully governed Afghanistan. It is a historical truth not open to debate.