Topic: Mullah Mohammed Omar

Top galleries, list articles, quizzes

Who are the Taliban and what do they want? 5 key points

While Pakistani and Afghan insurgents often get labeled as the 'Taliban,' in reality there are several groups that often act independently and have distinct command structures, ideologies, and strategies.
How 5 countries celebrate Eid al-Fitr and the end of Ramadan

Eid al-Fitr began at sunset Thursday, when the crescent of a new moon first showed over the Middle East. The three-day feast celebrates the end of the a month-long period of Ramadan's fasting and prayer. Here is how five countries ring in Eid al-Fitr.

All Content

Osama bin Laden raid documents available online today

Documents recovered from Osama bin Laden's Pakistan compound will show bin Laden's strategy for overthrowing Afghanistan.
Who are the Taliban and what do they want? 5 key points

While Pakistani and Afghan insurgents often get labeled as the 'Taliban,' in reality there are several groups that often act independently and have distinct command structures, ideologies, and strategies.
Terrorism & Security
US tightens screws on Pakistan with $10 million bounty

Yesterday the US announced a $10 million bounty for Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the leader of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba who lives openly in Pakistan.
Pakistan: It's 'preposterous' we could bring Taliban chief to talks

After a meeting of the presidents of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, Pakistan's foreign minister said her country was unsure what help Afghanistan wants in its peace talks with the Taliban.
Taliban talks: Another Karzai tiff with the US?

Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he will personally attend a meeting with Taliban figures in Saudi Arabia, working around Western efforts to coordinate the peace process.
What the execution of 15 kidnapped Pakistani soldiers means

In an apparent surprise to the Pakistan military, insurgents executed 15 soldiers who had been recently kidnapped – a blow to talks between the government and the Pakistani Taliban.
Global News Blog
Buckle up. Talking with the Taliban won't be easy.

The Taliban announcement that it would open an office in Qatar is a first step toward talks. But history shows that negotiated withdrawals are often designed to test the patience of the departing Army. 
Secret US-Taliban talks reach turning point

Negotiations between the US and Taliban in Afghanistan have reached a critical juncture, with a potential breakthrough of future peace talks.
Twin attacks in Afghanistan against Shiites not homegrown, say Afghans (video)

At least 58 people, many of them Shiite Muslims, died today in twin suicide attacks in Afghanistan on a Shiite holy day. But analysts say Afghanistan has no sectarian issues like Pakistan.
With peace stalled, Afghanistan looks to extend foreign aid

With Taliban uninterested in peace talks, Afghan President Karzai seeks long-term pledges from donors at peace conference in Bonn, Germany.
Pakistan's military and legislators plan peace talks with Taliban

In the midst of bad and worsening relations with Washington, Pakistan considers new round of peace talks with Pakistan-based Taliban, arguing that 'military solutions' are making things worse.
Who's really behind the Kabul attacks?

The Taliban claim responsibility for recent Kabul attacks, but the US pins blame specifically on the Pakistan-based Haqqani network in what some see as a bid to salvage Taliban peace talks.
Afghanistan's future murkier as Karzai disavows third term

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai announced yesterday he would not run in 2014 elections. Meanwhile, Taliban peace talks aimed at a final political settlement have reportedly stalled.
Obama speech on Afghanistan war: the missing moral victory

No matter what President Obama does after his speech on a partial troop withdrawal in Afghanistan, it is Afghans themselves who must rise up against the brutal tactics of the Taliban.
Why NATO and the Taliban are stepping up the fight - even as talks get under way

Afghanistan saw an uptick of violence as Afghan President Karzai announced that the US and the Taliban are, indeed, meeting.
Arab Spring, not Osama bin Laden's fall, will determine Middle East's fate

The Arab Spring will be even more significant and enduring than the historic operation that killed Osama bin Laden. And with bin Laden gone, it'll be harder for President Obama to justify spending more than $100 billion a year for military operations in Afghanistan.
Why bin Laden killing won't dampen Afghan fight

Even though the Taliban has ties with Al Qaeda, the Afghan militants are focused on fighting a national insurgency, not waging global jihad.
Al-Qaida statement praises bin Laden, promises more 'evil'

Al-Qaida statement: al-Qaida released a statement that is believed to be authentic in which they call Osama bin Laden a good man, request his body, and cast doubt on some conspiracies.
Can US and Taliban cut a deal in Afghanistan?

Even before Osama bin Laden's killing, the Taliban were softening their image while the US, Pakistan, and Afghanistan set the stage for talks. Now the US must decide if it's worth years of further military and diplomatic effort to hammer out an agreement.
Osama bin Laden's death: What it means for Taliban fight

The Taliban say Osama bin Laden's death won't affect them. But assessments are mixed.
Global News Blog
Pakistan earthquake hits Afghan Taliban haven

The massive Pakistan earthquake caused minimal damage, welcome news to a government trying to keep inquisitive reporters away from the Afghan Taliban stronghold of Balochistan.
In Afghanistan, Taliban rise where Kabul falters

With tough tactics and promises of security, it aims to position itself as a stronger brand of government.
NATO reads weakness in Taliban leader Mullah Omar's annual Eid statement

Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar denied reports of peace talks with the Afghanistan government, but military officials also saw signs of financial woes in his call for funding from the worldwide Muslim community.
Afghanistan's linchpin: Kandahar

Kandahar is the Taliban's stronghold and target of an allied assault in Afghanistan. Can NATO win hearts and minds as well as territory?
In Pakistan, militant attacks on Sufi shrines on the rise

Al-Qaeda-linked militants are stepping up their attacks on Sufi shrines, possibly as part of an effort to impose a more fundamentalist Islamic practice on the country.