The audio message purportedly from Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor also included comments about peace talks, though it wasn’t immediately clear whether he supported them or not. He said, “Taliban can accept the government of Afghanistan’s invitation to join a peace process and ultimately become part of the legitimate political system of a sovereign, united Afghanistan supported by the worldwide community, or they can choose to continue fighting Afghans and destabilize their own country”.
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Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid sent the audio to journalists and others Saturday. Taliban leaders were preparing to attend a second round of negotiations with Afghan officials, prodded by Pakistani authorities amid a thaw in their long-chilly relations with Kabul, and hopes were reinforced by a supportive statement from the supreme Taliban leader, Mohammed Omar.
Mullah Mansoor was confirmed by the Taliban as their new leader on Friday following the news of former leader Mullah Omar’s death on Wednesday.
The second round, which was scheduled to be held on July 31, was postponed by the request from the Taliban following the conformation of the death of Mullah Omar, according to Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Qazi Khalilullah. It may believe that by announcing Mullah Omar’s death, it has plunged the Taliban into crisis and thereby weakened the organisation – and deprived it of some of the leverage it derived from its strong showing on the battlefield.
“If he refuses, the council could elect a new leader”, he said.
Haji Deen Muhammad, who led the Afghan government team in the first round of talks with the Taliban, said Kabul wants to convert the talks into a formal dialogue process. The Haqqanis are not only considered close to Pakistan but also Saudi Arabia.
“If he gets the credibility, it might not be such bad news to have Mansour replace the invisible Mullah Omar“, Dam said.
The statement said the next leader should be appointed on the recommendations of leading Islamic scholars “and those mujahideen who had laid down the base of the Emirate of Afghanistan through their sacrifices”.
Some Afghan leaders who are familiar with Mansoor insist that he is a moderate and pro-peace personality and hence the dialogue process could move forward. Death of Mullah Omar is certainly a strategic blow to the outfit.
“This claim has no basis”. It wanted to divide the Taliban and bring in its own people.
Despite the opposition, Mansour retains a personal power base within the Taliban, and if he can keep the movement together it could lead to a new era for the insurgents.
Mansoor said all decisions will be taken in the light of Islamic law, be it war or peace talks, and advised his followers not to pay attention to rumors being spread about the Taliban campaign.
Omar’s fate had been unknown until the government said he had died more than two years ago in a Pakistani hospital.
Under Omar’s leadership, the Taliban offered haven to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, precipitating the U.S. military action in Afghanistan after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. “That was a red line for Mansour”, said Waheed Mojda, a former Taliban diplomat who is now an analyst in Kabul.
The potential Islamic State threat to the Taliban is a boon to the US – a small glimmer of a silver lining in the gathering cloud of the Islamic State threat.
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The Taliban on Saturday denied reports of the death of the founder of Haqqani network, its allied militant group blamed for some of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan. Roughly 4,100 Afghan soldiers and police were killed and 7,800 wounded in the first six months of this year, according to news reports.
