About rejection of peace talks by Taliban, The State Department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said the USA hopes that the new leader would seize the opportunity in front of him to choose peace and to work towards a negotiated solution.
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“The Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the name of the ousted Taliban regime).today announced that the council unanimously appointed Moulavi Haibatullah Akhunzada as the new leader”, the Taliban statement reads.
“Prospects for the Afghan peace process remain poor”.
The US and Afghan governments had stated Mansour had been an obstacle to a peace process that had ground to a halt when he refused to participate in peace talks earlier this year.
Reports say that Akhundzada never assumed a combat role during the Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
“Akhundzada enjoys some moral supremacy within Taliban ranks but he will be more of a symbolic leader than a functional leader”, he added.
After the selection of a spiritual leader for their new mullah instead of a battle-hardened jihadi, the Obama administration is holding onto hope they might convince the terror group to accept a peace deal with the Afghan government.
In this undated and unknown location photo, the new leader of Taliban fighters, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada poses for a portrait.
On Monday, the Taliban elected their new chief.
Multiple US drones targeted Mansour as he rode in a vehicle in a remote area in Pakistan along its border with Afghanistan, south-west of the town of Ahmad Wal, according to a US official. Soon after his appointment, the clashes between the rival factions broke out in southern Afghanistan, killing about 60 of Rasool’s followers and 20 militants associated with Mansour. But later he was among the several Taliban leaders who had been very close to Mullah Omar.
The article ‘What Happens After the Drone Strike?’ said the attack was a “sign of American exasperation with Pakistan’s duplicitous game of working with Washington to combat terrorism while sheltering the Taliban and its even more hard-line partners in the Haqqani network”.
He said this approach will further destabilise Afghanistan, which will have negative implications for the region, especially due to the presence of large number of terrorist groups in the war-torn country. The Taliban’s spring offensive, which started last month, was met by desertions from the Afghan army ranks, with some joining the Taliban instead. Afghan officials said Mullah Omar actually died in Pakistan in April 2013.
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“In our view there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan”.
