Analysis: ‘The Whys’ Of Mullah Akhtar Mansoor’s Death
The Whys of Mullah Akhtar Mansor’s Death
Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was born in 1968 in a village of Maiwand district of Kandahar province. He was related to Ishaqzai’s tribe of Pashtun in Kandahar and fulfilled his religious studies in Peshawar, Pakistan. His political activities started by joining to Islamic Party of Youns Khales and continued till leadership of Taliban. He fought against the forces of Soviet Union when occupied Afghanistan. In Emirate of Taliban, he served as head of Ariana Airline and Minister of Transport. When Taliban collapsed, Mansor went to Pakistan and took main leading part in Quetta Council. When media reported the death of Mullah Mohammed Omar, he took the leadership of Taliban and Sirajuddin Haqqani and Haibatollah Akhondzadah appointed as deputies of him.
On 21 May 2016, as supposedly he was returning from Iran, targeted and killed by US airstrike in Pakistan land with direct order of the US President, Barack Obama. Akhtar Mansor served as Taliban leader about three years, few people were aware of the first two years. The raise of Akhtar Mansor as leader of Taliban and his death had global reflections but why he was killed?
After the deadly attacks of September 11, the Americans arrived in Afghanistan to punish Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden whom accused for the attacks. Osama had escaped from Afghanistan, the US in search of him went to the caves of Tora Bora and later on to Pakistan. On 1 May 2011, the world media published the news that Osama was killed by Americans in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The world was in shock. The Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has been kept secret too, the broadcast of his messages indicated that he is alive. On July 29, 2015 the Afghan government in the midst of peace talks quoted from Pakistani officials that Mullah Omar was died two years back in Pakistan. The Taliban one day after, confirmed their leader’s death and within 24 hours replaced Mullah Akhtar Mansor as the group’s new leader.
Mohammad Akhtar Mansor as leader of Taliban, counted responsible for series of deadly attacks such as attack on Kandahar governor’s office on July 9, 2014, attack on spectators of volleyball in Paktika on Nov 23, 2014, attack on demonstrators in Khost on Apr 2, 2015, attack on Parliament on June 22, 2015, attack in Jalrez of Maidan Wardak on July 2, 2015, attacks of Shah Shahid and Police Headquarter (both in Kabul) on July 7, 2015, collapse of Qundoz on Sep 28, 2015, attack on employees of TOLO-TV on Jan 20, 2016, attack on Department of Prominent Figures Guard of NDS on Apr 19, 2015, the capture of districts in Maidan Wardak, Badakhshan, Helmand, Faryab, Takhar and Baghlan as well as dozens of other small attacks that led to the martyrdom and injury of thousands of Afghan civilians and army.
When Akhtar Mansor selected as leader of Taliban, Mullah Rasul and his supporters opposed him and made their own way. Mullah Mansoor Dadullah, another senior Taliban official harshly criticized concealing the death of Mullah Omar and announced that Akhtar Mansor was selected as Taliban leader by ISI and he does not obey him. Bloody wars occurred between the rival Taliban groups mainly in Herat and Zabul provinces.
Noteworthy points in connection to killing of Akhtar Mansor:
Imaginary peace of Afghanistan: over the years, the Afghan governments went through any possible way for achieving peace. The hopes of peace faced failures and prolonged the achievement of it. The National Unity Government (NUG) made great efforts to attain the lost peace. The quadrilateral peace group (US-China-Pakistan-Afghanistan) after its fourth session was supposed to hold direct talks with the Taliban. The formation of quadrilateral group and selection of Akhtar Mansor as leader of Taliban, who was reportedly in favor of peace, were hopes for peace but Mansor desisted to participate in peace talks.
The quadrilateral group was agreed if the Taliban refuse to participate in peace process, they will be attacked directly. Something that Pakistan refused to do but the United States did it. Therefore one of the reasons that why Akhtar Mansor was killed can be his not participation in peace process. The Pentagon acknowledged him as an obstacle of peace and Kabul also announced his frequent elusion. If the reason for his killing wasn’t participation in peace process, the fate of Afghan imaginary peace can reduce some of the uncertainties after him.
Ties with Russia and Iran:
The Islamic Emirate of Taliban was a common enemy and threat to Russia and Iran. This common enemy collapsed with the Western costs and for a short time detached from power. Russia and Iran despite of all disagreements with NATO, supported NATO mission in Afghanistan. The Afghan diplomacy in spite of heavy presence of the western countries in Afghanistan could establish and sustain independent relations with Russia and Iran. The long-term US military presence and bases never welcomed by Russia and Iran. The powerful Daesh (ISIS/ISIL) terrorists and its expansion in Middle East, also emerged in Afghanistan and created more serious threats to Iran and Russia.
The Russia most probably has made relation with Taliban, the issue which often confirmed and denied by authorities of Russia. The evidence of Iranian support of Taliban and Hekmatyar also existed. The logic of power relations may also confirm ties of Russia and Iran with Taliban. If Akhtar Mansor had relations with Russia and Iran, this could be a serious danger to United States. Akhtar Mansor was probably killed due to the expansion of relations with Russia and Iran.
Pakistan announced that Akhtar Mansour had a passport to the name of Wali Mohammad which has a valid Iran’s visa. Why Pakistan revealed the issue?
The Pakistan’s claim opens some debatable issues. If Akhtar Mansor was carrying a passport, logically the attack that burned him and his vehicle, the passport wouldn’t remain perfect. Akhtar Mansor may had few passports and maybe visited Iran some other time with one of them. The ISI may have the passport and Pakistan can prove Mansor’s visit to Iran. The news of Mansor’s death in Pakistan once more isolated and put the country under global pressure, the same which happened with Osama’s death. Probably the Pakistan’s diplomacy attempted to divide the global pressure and shared with international community that Pakistan is not the only supporter of Taliban in Afghanistan.
Iran connects Pakistan’s rival [India] to Afghanistan and Central Asia via tripartite agreement of Chabahar port. The Central Asia is more Pakistan’s sphere of influence than India. In addition to the economic advantages of Chabahar agreement, India can challenge Pakistan’s influence in Central Asia and Afghanistan. By completion of the contract, Pakistan will lose greatly the existing tools of pressure on Afghanistan. The recent visit of Indian PM, Narendra Modi and Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani to Iran, cannot be unrelated of Pakistan’s claim.
Afghan Diplomacy:
The Afghan NUG due to continuous efforts could involve the United States, China and Pakistan to the Afghan peace process and during a series of consultations and meetings, could also achieve their commitment to attack Taliban leaders if they refuse to join the peace process. The Akhtar Mansor’s refusal of holding direct talks, made hopeless the peace negotiations. Afghanistan may convinced the United States to make the peace process achievable in order to prevent the heavy cost of war with terrorism and fundamentalism. This goal could be achieved if the United States targeted Akhtar Mansor as he blocked the peace talks. From Pakistan’s perspective, the killing of Akhtar Mansor makes the war more complex and undermines the peace process but the US and Afghanistan have common contrary view with Pakistan which assumes Mansor’s death a step towards peace.
Shaky Relations of US-Pakistan:
The Pakistan has been America’s ally in South Asia for more than half century while India, the rival country had close relation with Soviet Union, enjoys the same with Russia and counted their traditional ally in South Asia. The end of Cold War changed relations. Today the Indian democracy has extensive relation with the United States and Pakistan army with up and downs broadly sustains the past relations. The United States due to Pakistan’s cooperation in war with terrorism and fundamentalism pays yearly about two billion dollars in fields of military and civil to Islamabad and also sells large quantities of weapons.
Against the aids from US, Pakistan deployed about a hundred thousand troops in the border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent the passage of terrorists. Islamabad has also launched military operations in northwest of the country. Permission of using from Pakistan soil, creation of joint intelligence centers with US and execution of a number of convicts of terrorist attacks are the other actions were done by Pakistan. In Pakistan, as in Afghanistan, thousands of civilians and military are victims of fundamentalism, terrorist attacks and US drone attacks.
In US congress, the strategic relation of US-Pakistan has been questioned from many years back which intensified in 2014, when Americans were forced to release five senior Taliban officials from Guantanamo Bay against release of Bowie Bergdahl, a US soldier who detained by Taliban. The lack of Pakistan’s cooperation irritated Americans and Islamabad was accused of preferring Haqqani group than United States. Despite of continuous US instructions, the use of military aids to Pakistan has never been clear and huge part of the aids spent in arm race with India instead of fighting terrorism and insurgency. The presence of leaders and members of al-Qaeda and Taliban in Pakistan in addition to huge casualties of 11 September attacks and deaths of hundreds of US soldiers in Afghanistan undermines the honesty of Pakistan in war with terrorism and fundamentalism.
Since 2005, the United States annually has paid $300 million to Pakistan to buy conventional weapons and in 2007, US has sold about $4,300 million weapons to Pakistan. The purchased items covering F-16 fighters that Congress recently spoke of imposing conditions on it. The House of Representatives passed a bill according to which America’s military aids to Pakistan will continue only if Pakistan makes more efforts to fight with militants. The killing of Akhtar Mansor indicates America’s enthusiasm in fighting against terrorism and fundamentalism and pressurizing Pakistan to make effective fight against terrorism. Although some analysts speak of possibility of Akhtar Mansor’s tracking by the help of ISI, I believe that US intelligence has the ability to detect and track the terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In civilian government of Asif Ali Zardari, the US army allowed officers of Pakistan to see the video-images taken by US drones from tribal areas and track the militants’ calls. The intelligence information gathered by US military officials were submitted to Pakistan army. The killing of Akhtar Mansor could be on base of US intelligence data and demonstration of US intelligence power.
The Middle East News Agency Kabul – Afghanistan.
By Ali Reza Samadi, Lecturer
