Akhtar Mansour

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Mullah
Akhtar Mohammad Mansour
ملا اختر محمد منصور
Mullah Akhtar Mansoor.jpg
Akhtar Mansoor is seen here in a photo taken in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1998.[1]
Governmental offices
In office
as Minister of Civil Aviation from September 1996 – 2001
Prime Minister Mohammad Rabbani
Abdul Kabir (Acting)
Succeeded by Abdul Rahman
Personal details
Born 1963-1968[2][3][4]
Karize, Band Taimor, Maiwand district, Kandahar Province, Kingdom of Afghanistan[4]
Alma mater Darul Uloom Haqqania[5]
Religion Islam (Deobandi)[6]
Military service
Allegiance

Flag of Jihad.svg Mujahideen

Flag of Taliban.svg Taliban (1995–present)
Years of service 1985–1992
1995 – present
Rank Supreme commander
Battles/wars Soviet-Afghan War
Afghan Civil War
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor[pronunciation?] (Pashto: اختر محمد منصور‎, Akhtar Muḥammad Manṣūr; born 1963) (also spelled Mansur[7] and Mansour [8]) also called Mullah Mansour, is the leader of the Taliban. According to a statement released by the Taliban on 30 July 2015, the group's founder and previous leader, Mohammed Omar, died in 2013.[9][10][11]

Early life[edit]

Mansoor is believed to have been born in a village named Kariz[2] in the Maiwand District of Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan, during the 1960s;[10][12] one source gives 1963 as his birth year while another mentions 1965.[2][3] In a biography released by the Taliban, 1968 was given as his birth year.[4] An ethnic Pashtun, he belongs to the Ishaqzai tribe of the Durrani tribal confederacy.[5][2][13]

Soviet war and mujahideen era[edit]

He joined the Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi group during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Mohammad Omar was then a commander of one of the groups of Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi. Mansoor participated in the jihad against the Russians in Maiwand, Sang-e-Hessar, Zangawat and other parts of the city. Known as one of the prominent warriors, Mansoor joined the Maulvi Obaidullah Ishaqzai group in 1987 but later Ishaqzai surrendered to Nur ul-Haq Ulumi, now the interior minister. Soon afterwards, he migrated to Quetta.[3]

After the war, Mansoor resumed his religious education in different seminaries and later shifted to Peshawar where he joined Jamia Mohammadia at the Jalozai Refugee camp.[3] He was a student at Darul Uloom Haqqania madrassa, which is where Mohammed Omar also studied.[13] He was apparently a popular student, during his time at the madrassa from 1994 to 1995, located within the Jalozai[2] refugee camp for Afghans near Peshawar, Pakistan, according to Afghan journalist Sami Yousafzai, who met him during that time.

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan[edit]

Appointed as a security officer in charge of the Kandahar airport he was soon picked by Mohammed Omar as the Minister of Civil Aviation in the 1996-2001 Taliban-led Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.[14]

In 1997, when the Taliban tried unsuccessfully to capture the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, Mansoor was captured by an Uzbek warlord. For two months he remained there as a prisoner of war before Mohammed Omar traded him out.[15]

After the conclusion of the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, Akther Masour is reported, by Anand Arni, a former officer with the Indian organisation Research & Analysis Wing, as being seen embracing Maulana Masood Azhar, the then leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed.[16][17]

In 2001, he surrendered to the Afghan President Hamid Karzai to ask for amnesty. He was forgiven after which he returned to his home district. American forces however refusing to believe he and other senior Taliban commanders had given up fighting, conducted a series of night raids to capture him after which he fled to Pakistan where he helped to shape the Taliban as an insurgent organisation.[18]

In a previously secret state communication of the U.S. government in 2006, Akhtar Mansoor was listed as the 23rd member of the Taliban (with the late Mohammed Omar as the first member).[19]

Quetta Shura and Taliban insurgency[edit]

According to the Indian Express, Akther Mansour was appointed to the Taliban's Quetta Shura (council for political and military matters and affairs), sometime during 2007, while within Quetta.[16][20]

A source claims to know of Akther Mansour having a "direct influence" over military units operating within Khost, Paktia and Paktika, at a time after his appointment to the Council of the Taliban.[16]

One source gives Mansoor as being appointed deputy to Mohammed Omar during 2010,[14] another source states him to have been "by some accounts" the second most senior member of the Taliban behind Mohammed Omar, during 2010.[21] A contradictory report states his appointment occurred during 2013 after Abdul Ghani Baradar, the then deputy, was jailed.[22]

Wahid Muzhda is quoted as saying in reference to Akther Mansoor:[22]

in 2013 he convinced other Taliban leaders to open the group's political office in Qatar to initiate negotiations with the West.

a fact which is corroborated by an additional report, which states the office was within Doha, Qatar.[20]

In a 2014 report, Akther Mansoor together with Abdul Qayum Zakir and Gul Agha Ishakzai, were said to be fighting over control of a major opium-producing area (land of Maiwand District) against a co-founder of the Taliban movement, Abdul Ghani Baradar.[23][24]

Leader of the Taliban[edit]

Akther Mansoor released his first communication as leader of the Taliban on 1 August 2015 as part of a 30 minute video release.[11][25]

... We should all work to preserve unity, division in our ranks will only please our enemies, and cause further problems for us ...Our goal and slogan is to implement sharia and an Islamic system, and our jihad will continue until this is done ...

Some Taliban sources considered Mansour's selection as leader to be invalid, while other senior Taliban commanders and officials preferred Mohammed Omar's eldest son, Mohammad Yaqoob, to have ascended as leader. Yaqoob was said to have been supported by his uncle, Abdul Manan and former Taliban military chief Abdul Qayyum Zakir. The head of the Taliban's political office in Qatar, Tayyab Agha also opposed the selection of Mansour as leader.[26][27] However, a statement allegedly from Zakir denied he had any conflict with Mansour.[28] Yaqoob is known to have publicly rejected the appointment of Akhtar Mansoor.[11][29][30]

The Taliban splinter group Fidai Mahaz claimed Mohammed Omar was assassinated in a coup led by Akhtar Mansour and Gul Agha. The Taliban commander Mansoor Dadullah, brother of former senior commander Dadullah, also claimed that Omar had been assassinated.[31][32][33] Mullah Yaqoob, Omar's eldest son, denied that his father had been killed, insisting that he died of natural causes.[34]

On 13 August 2015, al-Qaeda's media wing As-Sahab issued a pledge of allegiance from Ayman al-Zawahiri to Akhtar Mansour.[35]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "New leader "a modern face among the Taliban"?". CBS. 10 September 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015. 
  2. ^ a b c d e Shereena Qazi. POLITICS. published by Al Jazeera Media Network 03 Aug 2015 19:16 GMT. Retrieved 2015-08-03. (corroborates: Jalozai, Ishaqzai tribe,
  3. ^ a b c d "Biography of new Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor". Pajhwok. 31 July 2015. Retrieved August 2015. 
  4. ^ a b c d e "Introduction of the newly appointed leader of Islamic Emirate, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad". Shahamat. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015. 
  5. ^ a b "Who is 'new Taliban leader' Akhtar Mansoor?". 30 July 2015. Retrieved August 2015. 
  6. ^ Deobandi Islam: The Religion of the Taliban U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps, 15 October 2001
  7. ^ Robert L. Grenier - 88 Days to Kandahar: A CIA Diary Simon and Schuster 27 Jan 2015, 464 pages, ISBN 1476712077 [Retrieved 2015-08-04](previously sourced here)
  8. ^ Jibran Ahmad (Additional reporting by Mirwais Harooni in Kabul, Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Robert Birsel) - New Taliban leader facing tension as top official quits Reuters and re-published by Yahoo [Retrieved 2015-08-04]
  9. ^ "Taliban elects new leader after Mohammed Omar's death". AlJazeera. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015. 
  10. ^ a b "Mullah Omar: Taliban choose deputy Mansour as successor". BBC. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015. 
  11. ^ a b c AP. News - World:Middle East. SUNDAY 02 AUGUST 2015. Retrieved 2015-08-02. 
  12. ^ Dam, Bette. "Mullah Akhtar Mansoor: Taliban's New Leader Has a Reputation for Moderation." The Guardian. July 30, 2015. Accessed July 31, 2015.
  13. ^ a b Robert Crilly, (New York), and Ali M Latifi, (Kandahar). Profile: Mullah Akhtar Mansoor. published by Telegraph Media Group Limited 30 Jul 2015. Retrieved 2015-08-02. 
  14. ^ a b MATTHEW ROSENBERG. News Analysis. The New York Times Company December 28, 2014. Retrieved 2015-07-30. 
  15. ^ Sami Yousafzai (31 July 2015). "Up Close With the Taliban’s Next King". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 31 July 2015. 
  16. ^ a b c The Indian Express. Indian intelligence officials allege Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, the newly-appointed chief of the Afghan Taliban, might possibly have played a role in the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 during 1999. The Indian Express [P] Ltd. Retrieved 2015-08-03. 
  17. ^ "IC-814 hijacking: New Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour escorted Maulana Masood Azhar, says Ex-RAW officer". The Indian Express. 3 August 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015. 
  18. ^ Bette Dam (August 1, 2015). "Mullah Akhtar Mansoor: Taliban's new leader has reputation for moderation". The Guardian. Scott Trust Limited. Retrieved August 2, 2015. 
  19. ^ FM Secretary of the State (Washington). SECRET COMMUNICATION (now unclassified) - p.131 (PDF). UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY 14 Dec 2006. Retrieved 2015-08-05. 
  20. ^ a b Orlando Crowcroft. Society - Politics. IBTimes Co., Ltd July 30, 2015. Retrieved 2015-08-04. 
  21. ^ DEXTER FILKINS and CARLOTTA GALL - Taliban Leader in Secret Talks Was an Impostor published originally by The New York Times November 22, 2010 (re-published by Afghanhistan News Centre (Ruhullah Khapalwak) [Retrieved 2015-08-04]
  22. ^ a b Masood Saifullah. AFGHANISTAN. published by Deutsche Welle 31.07.2015. Retrieved 2015-08-02. (ref. inc. - amir)
  23. ^ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-24185441
  24. ^ Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team. 4th report (S/2014/402) (PDF). United Nations Security Council 10 June 2014. Retrieved 2015-08-05. (page 12)
  25. ^ AFP (Sky News) - News - World: Middle East published by Telstra Media 1 August 2015 [Retrieved 2015-08-02]
  26. ^ "New Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour calls for unity". BBC News. Retrieved 6 August 2015. 
  27. ^ "Mullah Omar: the one-eyed man who was king". The Economist. 30 July 2015. Retrieved August 2015. 
  28. ^ "Taliban leaders dispute appointment of Mullah Mansoor". al-Jazeera. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015. 
  29. ^ "Taliban political chief in Qatar Tayyab Agha resigns". BBC. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015. 
  30. ^ "Exclusive: Walkout at Taliban leadership meeting raises specter of split". Reuters. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015. 
  31. ^ "Pakistan exposed Mullah Omar’s death for its own interests: Kandahar clerics". Khaama Press. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015. 
  32. ^ "Mullah Omar: a myth of convenience". The Hindu. 20 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015. 
  33. ^ "Why the Taliban murdered their own leader and the terrifying fallout now threatening the West". The Mirror. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015. 
  34. ^ "Taliban's Mullah Omar died of natural causes in Afghanistan, son says". Reuters. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015. 
  35. ^ "Al-Qaeda's Zawahiri pledges loyalty to new Taliban chief". BBC. 13 August 2–15. Retrieved 13 August 2015.  Check date values in: |date= (help)