As reported in the Boston Globe, recent US intelligence reports now say that most of those fighting against NATO in Afghanistan are not fighting for religious or ideological goals.  Instead, their objectives are more familiar: power, money, and even a local form of nationalism.

Ninety percent is a tribal, localized insurgency…Ten percent are hardcore ideologues fighting for the Taliban.

Some of the fighters even oppose the Taliban.  In some cases, the actions of the fighters in the region are contrary to those that a religiously-motivated fighter would take.

[T]wo major insurgent groups are believed to have allied with the Taliban to protect their sphere of influence, not to wage a holy war against the West.

They are fighting “more out of xenophobia than Islamic fundamentalism…”

While there are certainly some religious aspects to the ongoing conflict, the report seems to indicate that the conflict lacks a widely held belief that the US is on any kind of religious endeavor.  While some Americans claim that the Muslim world is convinced the US is on a “crusade,” it does not appear that the enemy in Afghanistan agrees.