Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents: Introduction (p. 1)—1. Witches brew (p. 15)—2. An Islamic state (p. 41)—3. The perils of appeasement (p. 63)—4. The holy terror (p. 93)—5. Operation Earthquake (p. 123)—6. Turning the tide (p. 143)—7. Breaking apart the myth (p. 163)—8. The scorpion’s tale (p. 187)—Conclusion—Notes—Acknowledgments—Index.

The war in Afghanistan and the violent insurgency being waged on both sides of the Af-Pak border have raged on for nearly nine years, with no clear end in sight and with the militants now taking the fight deep within Pakistan, unleashing a reign of terror on the military and the civilian population and threatening to totally destabilize the country. Since the start of the war, the insurgents have greatly increased their power, with a distinctive Pakistani Taliban emerging and a new alliance among al Qaeda, the Taliban, and local Pakistani militant leaders facilitating ever-more highly coordinated attacks and pressing the cause of global jihad. Why has the insurgency been so irrepressible, and is this a fight that can ever be won?...—cover page.