Couldn't be a revenge attack, MOAB targeted daesh, the Taliban and daesh are antagonists. Strategy is about the big picture, what all the tactics are applied for. The MOAB drop was a tactical decision. The General who ordered it spoke of obstacles recurringly encountered in Afghan US advances near the target; fortifications, land mines, caves... The bomb was dropped there to clear an area the infantry couldn't overvome, this was a tactical decision. The strategy in Afghanistan is to support the government's efforts to fight Islamic fundamentalists.
Daesh and the Taliban joined ranks in August. Before that they were fighting each other but due to the US constantly bombing both of them they decided to unite - well done US! The war between ISIS and Taliban http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-35123748 http://thediplomat.com/2016/01/revealed-why-isis-hates-the-taliban/ http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/608187/Islamic-State-ISIS-war-Taliban-Afghanistan And now the truce: https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/taliban-isis-agree-stop-islamist-infighting-afghanistan/ https://southfront.org/afghan-is-taliban-concluded-alliance-to-confront-us-backed-afghan-army/ https://www.rt.com/news/355087-taliban-isis-afghanistan-truce/ Why does this "clear area" you mention have houses?
Truth & Justice: I need better sources than "RT" and this "almasdar news" looks a bit tendentious too. I realize Russians would more easily see Talibans, daesh and Al Qaeda as all the same, they are Islamic fundamentalists after all, but there are differences and these are significant, especially from a religious perspective (a fundamental consideration for all these groups).
I'm quite certain that "almasdar news" is more likely to be accurate than many of those that the west prints. Anyway, how about these links: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/lat...-Terrorism-Jihad-War-West-Middle-East-Warzone (A right wing bias news paper) https://www.wsj.com/articles/taliba...al-alliance-in-eastern-afghanistan-1470611849 http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/0...afghanistan-to-focus-on-us-backed-forces.html http://dailycaller.com/2016/08/08/n...es-amid-obamas-strategy-shift-in-afghanistan/