27 June 2016, Asharq Al-Awsat (English edition)
Brief backgrounder on Mullah Haibatullah, the new Taleban leader, quotes two analysts, including AAN’s Thomas Ruttig:
“The new leader remained a mysterious figure and stood far from battles. Thomas Ruttig, analyst in one of the Afghan research centers, said that Haibatullah was close to Mullah Omar, and that the latter used to consult him in religious matters. (…) Ruttig stresses that the new leader worked hard on maintaining Taliban’s unity, which witnessed many schisms following the announcement of Mullah Omar’s death.”
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This article was last updated on 9 Mar 2020
