The U.S. used the warlords to help them hunt Al Qaeda and the Taliban and it is rumored this extended to ignoring their involvement in the production and sale of opium.
After the toppling of the Taliban in late 2001, Mohammad Daud joined the Administration of Hamid Karzai, as a Director in the office of the newly constituted National Security Council in 2002.
In that role, he worked very closely with President Karzai, The National Security Advisor, and senior international colleagues as lead on combat prisoner issues, camp X-ray, and the reconciliation commission (PTS) Mohammad Daud served as Governor of the southern province of Helmand from December 2005 to late 2006.
[1] Radio Free Europe quoted critical comments from journalist Ahmed Rashid, about extraordinary support the Hamid Karzai Presidency was providing Daoud's predecessor:[2]
Mr. Akhonzada was thrown out from the governorship of Helmand on the demand of the British government before [British troops] went down into Helmand because of his involvement with the drugs, because of his involvement with the Taliban, and [because of] his very unsavory reputation, Now if a man like that is going to [remain] armed, it is going to lead to a very negative reaction by NATO, by the European Union, by the United Nations, by everyone trying to carry out a reform agenda.
In November 2006 a British Foreign Office official expressed frustration that Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai had appointed Daoud's predecessor Sher Mohammed Akhundzada to Afghanistan's Upper House; continued to meet with him, and appointed his brother, Amir Muhammad Akhundzada, as Daoud's deputy.