A Look At The Afghan-Taliban Three Years After The Death Of Its Leader

Photo: A file photo of the man believed to be Mullah Omar.

Catherine Hirst, The Interpreter: The Taliban three years after Mullah Omar

This month marks the three year anniversary of the death of Mullah Mohammed Omar, the infamous, one-eyed cleric who led the Taliban for more than sixteen years.

Omar was a fascinating figure on many fronts. Famously reclusive and enigmatic, no Western journalist ever met him and he wasn’t seen in public after 2001. Under his rule, a stringent formulation of Shariah Law was implemented in Afghanistan, including amputation for theft and stoning for adultery. A veteran of the Soviet-Afghan war, Omar and Osama bin Laden were close colleagues and this was an important factor in the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan. After the fall of the Taliban, Omar managed to evade capture for twelve years, despite an intensive US-led manhunt and a $US10 million bounty. He died of natural causes in 2013.

Beyond his notorious exploits, influence, and the mysteries that surround him, Omar’s life and death provide fascinating insights into the role of individual leaders in the Jihadi system.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Leaders are important .... but it is the ideals and philosophy behind them that are even more important. Unfortunately ... the continuous refusal .... primarily many from the West .... to even acknowledge let alone understand and confront the importance of radical Islam to these groups .... will only mean that they will never be properly challenged.