True or False, Rumors of Taliban Leader's Death Hamper Afghan Peace Talks
The impact of speculation over whether Mullah Mohammed Omar is alive or dead exposes how fragile opportunity for peace in Afghanistan remains
Just days ahead of a new round of peace talks between the Afghan government in Kabul and the Taliban, regional and international speculation has surfaced--though not for the first time--that the elusive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar is no longer alive.
While the Afghan government on Wednesday said it was investigating unconfirmed claims of Omar's demise, the rumors come as violence has spiked ahead of the talks and reports are emerging that the Taliban is experiencing an internal power struggle that could impact its ability to forge a sustainable peace accord with Kabul.
"We have also seen reports in the media on the death of Mullah Omar, we are assessing those reports," President Ashraf Ghani's deputy spokesperson Zafar Hashemi told journalists during a press conference on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to brief journalists, told the Associated Press that the circling rumors were simply "speculation" designed to disrupt the upcoming peace talks. Experts note how Afghan intelligence officials have previously been the source of claims, later proven untrue, that specific Taliban fighters, including Omar himself, were dead or injured as a way to sow confusion in the public mind about the group's cohesiveness or military capabilities.
According to AP:
If Omar died, it could complicate the peace process as it removes a figurehead for the insurgents, who until now have appeared to act collectively but are believed to be split on whether to continue the war or negotiate with Ghani's government. Ending the war has been a main priority for Ghani since he took office last year.
"Whether he is dead or alive is important because he is the collective figure for the Taliban," said a Western diplomat with connections to the Taliban leadership. "If he is dead, it would be much more difficult to get negotiations with the Taliban because there would be no collective figure to rally around and take collective responsibility for entering peace talks."
The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to journalists about the situation.
As the Washington Post notes:
The one-eyed Omar -- who was rarely photographed or appeared in public events -- is credited with being the ideological leader of the Taliban as it rose from a band of Islamist insurgents in the 1980s to take control of Afghanistan in the 1990s and provide haven for al-Qaeda.
The Taliban was toppled by American forces and others after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but the group has remained as a potent militant force in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan and carries out frequent attacks.
As of this writing, the Taliban has yet to confirm or deny the latest claims of Omar's possible death, which have been brewing in Afghan and Pakistani media for nearly a week.
The Guardian reports:
Recently, some commanders had begun to openly question whether Omar was alive, stirring speculation about who should head the movement. If confirmed, Omar's death would throw the Taliban into a struggle over the succession.
This week, Pakistani media reported that Omar's eldest son, 26-year-old Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub, was challenging the movement's official number two, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, for the leadership.
The claims also come at a time when Ghani is trying to restart peace talks with the insurgents. After several informal meetings, an official delegation from the government met three Taliban representatives outside Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, in early July.
Following the summit, different factions, including the movement's political office in Qatar, denied that the Taliban delegation represented the movement.
The public disagreements were partly quelled the following week, however, when a statement published on the Taliban's website, purportedly from Omar, endorsed the peace talks.
In the end, whether his death is true or whether the invention of it is a subterfuge designed to upend the talks, the reality remains for the Afghan people that nothing--not even Omar himself--remains more elusive than a negotiated settlement or a lasting peace.
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just three days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Just days ahead of a new round of peace talks between the Afghan government in Kabul and the Taliban, regional and international speculation has surfaced--though not for the first time--that the elusive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar is no longer alive.
While the Afghan government on Wednesday said it was investigating unconfirmed claims of Omar's demise, the rumors come as violence has spiked ahead of the talks and reports are emerging that the Taliban is experiencing an internal power struggle that could impact its ability to forge a sustainable peace accord with Kabul.
"We have also seen reports in the media on the death of Mullah Omar, we are assessing those reports," President Ashraf Ghani's deputy spokesperson Zafar Hashemi told journalists during a press conference on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to brief journalists, told the Associated Press that the circling rumors were simply "speculation" designed to disrupt the upcoming peace talks. Experts note how Afghan intelligence officials have previously been the source of claims, later proven untrue, that specific Taliban fighters, including Omar himself, were dead or injured as a way to sow confusion in the public mind about the group's cohesiveness or military capabilities.
According to AP:
If Omar died, it could complicate the peace process as it removes a figurehead for the insurgents, who until now have appeared to act collectively but are believed to be split on whether to continue the war or negotiate with Ghani's government. Ending the war has been a main priority for Ghani since he took office last year.
"Whether he is dead or alive is important because he is the collective figure for the Taliban," said a Western diplomat with connections to the Taliban leadership. "If he is dead, it would be much more difficult to get negotiations with the Taliban because there would be no collective figure to rally around and take collective responsibility for entering peace talks."
The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to journalists about the situation.
As the Washington Post notes:
The one-eyed Omar -- who was rarely photographed or appeared in public events -- is credited with being the ideological leader of the Taliban as it rose from a band of Islamist insurgents in the 1980s to take control of Afghanistan in the 1990s and provide haven for al-Qaeda.
The Taliban was toppled by American forces and others after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but the group has remained as a potent militant force in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan and carries out frequent attacks.
As of this writing, the Taliban has yet to confirm or deny the latest claims of Omar's possible death, which have been brewing in Afghan and Pakistani media for nearly a week.
The Guardian reports:
Recently, some commanders had begun to openly question whether Omar was alive, stirring speculation about who should head the movement. If confirmed, Omar's death would throw the Taliban into a struggle over the succession.
This week, Pakistani media reported that Omar's eldest son, 26-year-old Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub, was challenging the movement's official number two, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, for the leadership.
The claims also come at a time when Ghani is trying to restart peace talks with the insurgents. After several informal meetings, an official delegation from the government met three Taliban representatives outside Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, in early July.
Following the summit, different factions, including the movement's political office in Qatar, denied that the Taliban delegation represented the movement.
The public disagreements were partly quelled the following week, however, when a statement published on the Taliban's website, purportedly from Omar, endorsed the peace talks.
In the end, whether his death is true or whether the invention of it is a subterfuge designed to upend the talks, the reality remains for the Afghan people that nothing--not even Omar himself--remains more elusive than a negotiated settlement or a lasting peace.
Just days ahead of a new round of peace talks between the Afghan government in Kabul and the Taliban, regional and international speculation has surfaced--though not for the first time--that the elusive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar is no longer alive.
While the Afghan government on Wednesday said it was investigating unconfirmed claims of Omar's demise, the rumors come as violence has spiked ahead of the talks and reports are emerging that the Taliban is experiencing an internal power struggle that could impact its ability to forge a sustainable peace accord with Kabul.
"We have also seen reports in the media on the death of Mullah Omar, we are assessing those reports," President Ashraf Ghani's deputy spokesperson Zafar Hashemi told journalists during a press conference on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to brief journalists, told the Associated Press that the circling rumors were simply "speculation" designed to disrupt the upcoming peace talks. Experts note how Afghan intelligence officials have previously been the source of claims, later proven untrue, that specific Taliban fighters, including Omar himself, were dead or injured as a way to sow confusion in the public mind about the group's cohesiveness or military capabilities.
According to AP:
If Omar died, it could complicate the peace process as it removes a figurehead for the insurgents, who until now have appeared to act collectively but are believed to be split on whether to continue the war or negotiate with Ghani's government. Ending the war has been a main priority for Ghani since he took office last year.
"Whether he is dead or alive is important because he is the collective figure for the Taliban," said a Western diplomat with connections to the Taliban leadership. "If he is dead, it would be much more difficult to get negotiations with the Taliban because there would be no collective figure to rally around and take collective responsibility for entering peace talks."
The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to journalists about the situation.
As the Washington Post notes:
The one-eyed Omar -- who was rarely photographed or appeared in public events -- is credited with being the ideological leader of the Taliban as it rose from a band of Islamist insurgents in the 1980s to take control of Afghanistan in the 1990s and provide haven for al-Qaeda.
The Taliban was toppled by American forces and others after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but the group has remained as a potent militant force in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan and carries out frequent attacks.
As of this writing, the Taliban has yet to confirm or deny the latest claims of Omar's possible death, which have been brewing in Afghan and Pakistani media for nearly a week.
The Guardian reports:
Recently, some commanders had begun to openly question whether Omar was alive, stirring speculation about who should head the movement. If confirmed, Omar's death would throw the Taliban into a struggle over the succession.
This week, Pakistani media reported that Omar's eldest son, 26-year-old Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub, was challenging the movement's official number two, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, for the leadership.
The claims also come at a time when Ghani is trying to restart peace talks with the insurgents. After several informal meetings, an official delegation from the government met three Taliban representatives outside Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, in early July.
Following the summit, different factions, including the movement's political office in Qatar, denied that the Taliban delegation represented the movement.
The public disagreements were partly quelled the following week, however, when a statement published on the Taliban's website, purportedly from Omar, endorsed the peace talks.
In the end, whether his death is true or whether the invention of it is a subterfuge designed to upend the talks, the reality remains for the Afghan people that nothing--not even Omar himself--remains more elusive than a negotiated settlement or a lasting peace.