This work scrutinizes the Taliban's decade-long effort to regain its foothold in Pakistan and Afghanistan following NATO's offensive in 2001 and builds a case for still viewing the Taliban as a formidable force in the world today. As a fundamental overview of the Taliban, it analyzes the various factors that led to the regime's resurgence, including failed nation-building attempts of Western democracies as well as the ineffective management and injudicious policies of Pakistani and Afghan governments. Hassan Abbas, one of the world's leading experts on Middle Eastern militant groups, uses the first four chapters to provide an in-depth cross-section of the Taliban: its cultural and political history, deeply-embedded nuances, ideological motivations and aspirations for the future. Chapters 5 through 7 shift the narrative, giving a framework assessment of how the 2001 incursion dismantled the Taliban's command system, causing disarray and demoralization amongst its cadres, and how, despite being pushed to the brink of eradication, it managed to endure. Chapters 8 and 9 map their reorganizing efforts: unifying the many disparate insurgent groups throughout the region and expanding their criminal network. Abbas’ conclusion summarizes the challenges of tackling Islamist militancy head-on and analyzes legitimate, sustainable avenues for political, economic, and social restoration.