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| Taliban Announce New Leader, and Pick 2 Deputies From Hard-Line Wing | Taliban Announce New Leader, and Pick 2 Deputies From Hard-Line Wing |
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| KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban leadership has announced the appointment of a new head, as well as two deputies drawn from the hard-line Haqqani wing, according to messages it posted Friday on a website associated with the group. | KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban leadership has announced the appointment of a new head, as well as two deputies drawn from the hard-line Haqqani wing, according to messages it posted Friday on a website associated with the group. |
| The move greatly elevated the standing of the extremist Haqqani wing, and may in turn complicate efforts to resume peace talks, which were suspended after confirmation of the death of the Taliban’s former leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar. | The move greatly elevated the standing of the extremist Haqqani wing, and may in turn complicate efforts to resume peace talks, which were suspended after confirmation of the death of the Taliban’s former leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar. |
| The leadership announcement seemed to settle for the moment at least questions over the succession to Mullah Omar. The Taliban have now confirmed Mullah Omar’s death without saying when he died. Afghan government officials said on Wednesday that he died two years ago in a hospital in Pakistan. | The leadership announcement seemed to settle for the moment at least questions over the succession to Mullah Omar. The Taliban have now confirmed Mullah Omar’s death without saying when he died. Afghan government officials said on Wednesday that he died two years ago in a hospital in Pakistan. |
| Citing the leadership council of the Quetta Shura, the body that Mullah Omar headed as “emir” of the Taliban, the announcement on the website Shahamat, in English, Pashto and Dari, said that Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour had been chosen as emir. | Citing the leadership council of the Quetta Shura, the body that Mullah Omar headed as “emir” of the Taliban, the announcement on the website Shahamat, in English, Pashto and Dari, said that Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour had been chosen as emir. |
| The announcement also said the Taliban’s two “deputy heads” would be Maulavi Haibatullah Akhunzada, the Taliban’s former chief justice, and Mullah Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the of the Haqqani network and son of its founder. Maulavi Akhunzada is also close to the Haqqani network, according to former Taliban officials, and some describe him as a member of that group. | |
| Appointing Haqqani deputies removed an important source of dissension over the leadership, as the Haqqani network initially had been said to favor making Mullah Omar’s son Yaqoub the new leader. | Appointing Haqqani deputies removed an important source of dissension over the leadership, as the Haqqani network initially had been said to favor making Mullah Omar’s son Yaqoub the new leader. |
| The Haqqani network, a Pakistan-based group that had pledged allegiance to Mullah Omar, operates as a close ally of the Taliban and is responsible for many of the biggest attacks in eastern Afghanistan and in Kabul. It runs the most significant network of suicide bombers and has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States government. | The Haqqani network, a Pakistan-based group that had pledged allegiance to Mullah Omar, operates as a close ally of the Taliban and is responsible for many of the biggest attacks in eastern Afghanistan and in Kabul. It runs the most significant network of suicide bombers and has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States government. |
| People close to the Quetta Shura, who spoke on condition of anonymity and had earlier said that the succession had been in doubt, said on Friday that the appointment of Mullah Mansour and deputies acceptable to the Haqqani network had settled the issue and that the Taliban were now united behind the new leadership. | People close to the Quetta Shura, who spoke on condition of anonymity and had earlier said that the succession had been in doubt, said on Friday that the appointment of Mullah Mansour and deputies acceptable to the Haqqani network had settled the issue and that the Taliban were now united behind the new leadership. |
| The Taliban statement said the new emir had been chosen in a meeting of the leadership council with “scholars, saints and dignitaries of the Islamic Emirate,” as it calls its organization. It did not say when the meeting took place, except that it was “after his passing away.” The Taliban only confirmed Mullah Omar’s death on Thursday. While the statement was dated Thursday, it was not made public until Friday. | The Taliban statement said the new emir had been chosen in a meeting of the leadership council with “scholars, saints and dignitaries of the Islamic Emirate,” as it calls its organization. It did not say when the meeting took place, except that it was “after his passing away.” The Taliban only confirmed Mullah Omar’s death on Thursday. While the statement was dated Thursday, it was not made public until Friday. |
| Mullah Mansour had officially been Mullah Omar’s deputy during the past two years, when the leader was apparently dead — though the Taliban denied that was the case. | Mullah Mansour had officially been Mullah Omar’s deputy during the past two years, when the leader was apparently dead — though the Taliban denied that was the case. |
| Mullah Mansour has been known as a proponent of engaging in peace talks, and the first face-to-face negotiations between the Taliban and the government took place on July 7 in Pakistan. A second session scheduled for Friday was canceled after news of Mullah Omar’s death became public. | Mullah Mansour has been known as a proponent of engaging in peace talks, and the first face-to-face negotiations between the Taliban and the government took place on July 7 in Pakistan. A second session scheduled for Friday was canceled after news of Mullah Omar’s death became public. |
| The enhanced status of the Haqqani network may pose a problem for American officials, who have supported the peace talks but have had political difficulties engaging directly with Haqqani members. There have been reports that Haqqani representatives participated in the July 7 session. American and Chinese officials were present as observers. | The enhanced status of the Haqqani network may pose a problem for American officials, who have supported the peace talks but have had political difficulties engaging directly with Haqqani members. There have been reports that Haqqani representatives participated in the July 7 session. American and Chinese officials were present as observers. |
| The Taliban statement referred to Mullah Mansour’s previous role as de facto leader of the insurgency, saying “he had been administering the Islamic Emirate since long before” Mullah Omar’s death. | The Taliban statement referred to Mullah Mansour’s previous role as de facto leader of the insurgency, saying “he had been administering the Islamic Emirate since long before” Mullah Omar’s death. |
| Maulavi Qalamudin, a member of the Afghan government’s High Peace Council and himself a former Taliban official, said that the new deputy, Maulavi Akhunzada, had been a member of the Haqqani network in recent years and was a longtime friend of the Haqqani network’s founder, Jalaluddin Haqqani. | |
| Maulavi Qalamudin expressed doubt that the succession issue had been settled. “It is still not confirmed how many Taliban have voted to replace Mullah Omar,” he said. “There is still a possibility of disputes between them, we will have to wait and see if those disputes will be resolved or not.” | Maulavi Qalamudin expressed doubt that the succession issue had been settled. “It is still not confirmed how many Taliban have voted to replace Mullah Omar,” he said. “There is still a possibility of disputes between them, we will have to wait and see if those disputes will be resolved or not.” |
| However, a Taliban official said on Friday that Mullah Omar’s family members as well as prominent Taliban members and the leadership council of the shura had all backed Mullah Mansour and the new deputies. He spoke on condition of anonymity to protect himself from arrest by the authorities. | However, a Taliban official said on Friday that Mullah Omar’s family members as well as prominent Taliban members and the leadership council of the shura had all backed Mullah Mansour and the new deputies. He spoke on condition of anonymity to protect himself from arrest by the authorities. |
| “There were small disagreements at the beginning, but all differences were settled through the mediation of white-bearded clerics and the blessing of the Haqqani network,” the Taliban official said. | “There were small disagreements at the beginning, but all differences were settled through the mediation of white-bearded clerics and the blessing of the Haqqani network,” the Taliban official said. |