In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Hassan Abbas about his latest book, The Return of the Taliban: Afghanistan After the Americans Left.

Dr. Hassan Abbas is Distinguished Professor of International Relations at the Near East South Asia Strategic Studies Centre (NESA), National Defense University in Washington DC.

He has also authored The Prophet’s Heir: The Life of Ali ibn Abi Talib (Yale University Press, March 2021), and The Taliban Revival (Yale University Press, June 2014), which chronicles the Taliban’s survival and resurgence after 2001, through firsthand research and interviews in the area.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:37 Why did Kabul fall so quickly?

18:28 How did the Taliban evolve?

33:42 Pakistan’s role and impact on the country

53:26 Global impact of Taliban’s resurgence

1:04:57 Political instability in Pakistan and ethnic issues