His charismatic stature had kept the group together and effective; his successor is not likely to attract the same esteem.
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A Saudi diplomatic cable recently made public by Wikileaks said the Saudi ambassador to Pakistan met in 2012 with Nasiruddin Haqqani, Jalaluddin s other son and chief fundraiser for the group.
But Omar’s death might push some Taliban commanders toward “Islamic State” (IS) – a Sunni militant group active in Syria and Iraq and looking to expand its influence to Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan under the leadership of its dynamic and ruthless leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. After conducting talks with US and Afghan officials about creating a ceasefire he then disappeared into thin air taking with him a substantial amount of dollars. However, it comes as the Taliban tries to present a unified front behind Mansoor as they continue their almost 14-year insurgency against the Afghan government. The statement appears to have spurred speculation throughout the ranks of the Taliban, and the talk quickly prompted Mullah Mansour to begin telling his compatriots that Mullah Omar had died, the report said. It said Haqqani backed Mansoor as the Taliban’s leader. All Pakistan got out of the whole fiasco was more misery for its people, but its army fattened itself on the billions of dollars the west poured into the region as it fought al-Qaida and Taliban. Abdul Qayum Zakir leads one group.
He also has powerful rivals within the Taliban who are strongly opposed to peace talks with the Afghan government and some are unhappy at the thought he may have deceived them for more than a year about former leader Mullah Omar’s death. Former finance minister, Mutasim Agha Jan, leads the third group; he lives in the UAE and favours the peace talks.
The announcement last week that the Taliban leader Mullah Omar is dead should mark an important junction not only for Afghanistan and the Taliban, but also for the Jihadist movement worldwide.
Although the statement did not name Mansour directly, it underlined the obstacles he faces to consolidating his position as successor to the secretive longtime leader and founder of the radical Islamist movement. The second round of peace talks – scheduled for Friday – has been postponed at the Taliban’s request.
The message was emailed to reporters by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. Another Qatar office member, Qari Deen Muhammad, also did not endorse the nomination.
CBS Information senior nationwide safety analyst Juan Zarate stated could possibly be reflective of some issues. Appointment of new leadership may help foster a semblance of unity within the Taliban; Mansoor’s appointment was any way unlikely to please everyone in the Taliban community.
“Respected scholars, saints, provincial Jihadi leaders, Mujahideen, tribal elders, influential figures and ordinary locals” participated in the ceremonies, the statement said. Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Mansoor who, according to the Afghan government, has been the Taliban’s shadow leader for years, was elected to succeed Mullah Omar. However, by late Friday and Saturday, Haqqani’s death was strongly denied. He became the “Head of the Supreme Council” in 1996.
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The group was blamed for some of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan, including the Indian embassy bombing and the attack on Kabul Serena Hotel in 2008, and the 2009 coordinated attacks on the Afghan justice ministry. At any rate, the Taliban will surely be too distracted to focus on negotiations anytime soon, especially because the confirmation of Mullah Omar’s death will intensify a growing rivalry between Mansour, the Taliban’s second in command, and Muhammad Yaqoob, Mullah Omar’s eldest son.
