RFE/RL, 14 September 2021
In this article, looking at the new Taleban cabinet in Afghanistan, related AAN research is quoted:
The Afghanistan Analysts Network concluded from those appointments that Baradar lost out in internal Taliban disputes over the formation of the caretaker government.
Experts from the Afghanistan Analysts Network say Mullah Haibatullah’s absence from all public and private events, nearly a month after the Taliban seized Kabul, suggests that he may no longer be alive.
They note that even the reclusive Mullah Omar had made some public appearances when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan during the late 1990s — although not on video. Mullah Omar also had met with foreign officials and had given radio statements and interviews before he died.
For now, the Afghanistan Analysts Network concludes, Mullah Haibatullah “appears to function as a symbolic figurehead who can unify without actually appearing or speaking.”
Revisions:
This article was last updated on 4 Oct 2021
