War: U.S. Drone Strike Resulting In The Death Of Taliban’s Leader, Akhtar Mansour, Viewed As A Win For Peace In Afghanistan — But Is It Also A Message To Pakistan?
Leaders in Kabul, Afghanistan, are pleased about the U.S. drone strike which killed the Afghan Taliban Leader, Mullah Mohammed Akhtar Mansour.
The Associated Press reports that the Taliban leader’s death from the drone strike should be the first step towards the ongoing effort to end the crippling war in Afghanistan. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah viewed the Taliban leader as their biggest obstacle towards keeping the peace — being grateful for the drone strike.
“Mansour was the main figure preventing the Taliban joining the peace process. From the day he took over the Taliban following the death of Mullah Omar, he intensified violence against ordinary citizens, especially in Afghanistan.”
Mansour was killed by a U.S. drone when it fired on his vehicle in the southwestern Pakistan sometime between Friday and Saturday according to sources.
Assassination of #MullahMansour is a reminder that the U.S. role in the war in #Afghanistan is still far from over https://t.co/zoOxjyDb0Z
— Jennifer Kavanagh (@jekavanagh) May 22, 2016
Mansour was the successor to former Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar who was killed in 2013.
On the Taliban leader being killed by the drone strike, Ghani stated that “Mansour engaged in deception, concealment of facts, drug-smuggling and terrorism while intimidating, maiming and killing innocent Afghans.”
Eager to get the news out, U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, announced the drone strike killing of Mansour before it was officially confirmed.
“Peace is what we want. Mansour was a threat to that effort. He also was directly opposed to peace negotiations and to the reconciliation process. It is time for Afghans to stop fighting and to start building a real future together.”
On the other hand, the Taliban leader’s drone strike death means only one thing for the rest of the Taliban — that it’s time to select a successor. The new leader will take reign over the Taliban and determine their prerogatives going forward.
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The Taliban leader’s reign was controversial even within the ranks of the Taliban group which he led. Following his coronation, the family of his predecessor, Mullah Omar, attempted of coup of the deceased leader out of bitter rebellion.
Nevertheless, he managed to keep the peace within the Taliban while imposing terror on the innocent Afghan population.
The deceased Taliban leader’s drone death strike death was also done as a power move or rather a “flex-of-the-muscle” by the United States conveying the message that U.S. military forces can strike at will, whenever and where ever.
Independent analyst, Ahmad Saedi, said this of the attacks,
“It was a message to Pakistan that whenever the USA wants, it can attack whoever they want inside Pakistan. It was a message to the Taliban that no one is safe, and if America wants, it can target anyone, anywhere, at any time.”
The Taliban leader’s drone death also has world leaders speculating why yet another Taliban leader was spotted and killed in Pakistan.
What'll it take for US to realize, Pakstan isnt ally, but enemy. BinLaden, Zawahiri, MullaOmar & now #MullahMansour pic.twitter.com/cm97o8jOlW
— Mehran Marri (@MehranMarri) May 22, 2016
Scrutiny against the USA for carrying out the drone strike is also expected.
Waiting for the 'how dare the US violate our sovereignty' noise, to silence questions on 'why was Afghan #Taliban leader in #Pakistan?"
— Husain Haqqani (@husainhaqqani) May 21, 2016
Do you think that the Taliban leader’s death alone will help or hurt the War on Terror?
[Image via Shutterstock]
