Nikhil Kumar, Time: How the Death of Mullah Omar Could Disrupt Progress in Afghanistan
The one-eyed leader died two years ago, it has emerged. The news could impact hopes for peace with the Taliban
Only two weeks ago, Mullah Omar’s name surfaced on a website linked to the Afghan Taliban in a message approving of the insurgents’ peace talks with Afghan government officials. There was no video or audio, just a short statement purportedly from the one-eyed leader of the militants who ruled Afghanistan before fleeing into hiding amid U.S. airstrikes in late 2001. And there he stayed, appearing only as the shadowy signatory of occasional messages such as the one that appeared in mid-July.
WNU Editor: If he was dead .... we would have known about it within 24 hours .... not 2 years after the fact. But then again ... who really knows.
Commentaries And Analysis On Reports That Afghan Taliban Leader Mullah Omar Is Dead
Rumors of Mullah Omar’s Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated Before -- Shane Harris & Nancy A. Youssef, Daily Beast
Mullah Omar – the evasive ghost who lead the Taliban through secrecy -- Emma Graham-Harrison and Sune Engel Rasmussen in Mazar-i-Sharif, The Guardian
Mullah Omar’s Death Makes Afghan Peace Even Harder to Reach -- Eltaf Najafizada, Bloomberg
Taliban Chief Mullah Omar Said Dead in Afghan Peace Setback -- Eltaf Najafizada, Bloomberg
Expert view: Why Mullah Omar's death would be significant for the Taliban -- The Telegraph
Taliban leader Mullah Omar declared dead, but does it even matter now? -- Karan Pradhan, First Post
If Mullah Omar Really Is Dead, What Does That Mean for the Taliban? -- Joshua Keating, Slate
Can The Taliban Survive Mullah Omar's Death? -- Frud Bezhan, Radio Free Europe
Why no one believes it when Taliban leader Mohammad Omar ‘dies’ -- Adam Taylor, Washington Post
Dead or Alive, Is Mullah Omar Still a Wanted Man? -- Ankit Panda, The Diplomat
Who was Taliban leader Mullah Omar? -- Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY
Mullah Omar: The myth and the movement -- Lyse Doucet, BBC
How Death of Taliban’s Mullah Omar Could Boost ISIS in Afghanistan -- Michael Kugelman, WSJ
Taliban leader, who Afghanistan says is dead, a pious enigma -- Reuters
Profile: Mullah Mohammed Omar -- BBC
Five things to know about Mullah Omar -- The Hill
Major Events in the Life of Taliban Leader Mullah Omar -- AP