Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Taliban's No. 2 a Fierce, Intelligent Opponent of US

Mullah Omar's lieutenant may be really running the insurgency

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 26, 2009 1:50 PM CDT

(Newser) – Though most Americans know of Mullah Omar, head of the Taliban’s insurgency in Afghanistan, few know his capable lieutenant, Mullah Baradar. As a high-profile US target, Omar has kept a low profile over the last 3 years—while Baradar commands day-to-day operations, Newsweek reports. But Baradar’s cunning leadership may be behind the improved tactics that have made July the deadliest month for coalition troops since the initial 2001 invasion.

Baradar allegedly instructs his commanders to avoid fighting coalition troops head-on, relying on ambushes to maximize enemy casualties. Perhaps most significantly, Baradar understands the importance of winning over the Afghan populace: he is said to have used stern measures to restrict corruption within his ranks, and instituted committees to handle villagers' grievances.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

Pakistani Taliban militants are shown to the media at the detention center of Jalalabad the provincial capital of Nangarhar province east of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday, July 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

A US Chinook helicopter flies over Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday, July 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A suspected pro-Taliban fighter sits on steps in the provincial jail in Pul-e-Khumri, Baghlan province of Afghanistan, Sunday, July 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Mullah Omar has put Baradar in charge. It is Mullah Omar's idea and his policy to stay quiet in a safe place, because he has a high price on his head, while Baradar leads. - Mullah Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil, former foreign minister to the Taliban's Afghan government

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

US, Afghanistan, Taliban: Secret Talks Under Way

Hamid Karzai is in Pakistan today to discuss negotiations

(NEWSER) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived in Pakistan today, one day after telling the Wall Street Journal that his country has entered into three-way peace talks with the Taliban and the US. Karzai is in Pakistan to discuss the negotiations and request that country's help; Islamabad's cooperation is necessary, since Taliban fighters have reportedly been receiving support from Pakistan, the New York Times notes. The recent talks signal a breakthrough, considering the Taliban has up until now insisted it would not negotiate with Karzai's "puppet regime." More»

Taliban: Prince Harry Shouldn't Kill

'Captain Wales' to return to Afghanistan this year; he'll be Taliban target

(NEWSER) - Newly qualified Apache helicopter pilot Prince Harry is expected to return to Afghanistan for a tour of duty this year, and the people he might be shooting at aren't happy about it. "A prince should use his position to help people, not to come and kill people around the world," a Taliban spokesman tells the Telegraph . Harry, whose training included a stint in the US , is expected to serve as a co-pilot gunner in a two-man crew. More»

US Kills Taliban Commander With al-Qaeda Ties

Drone strike indicates again that drones are back in action in Pakistan.

(AP) - A US drone fired two missiles at a house in Pakistan's northwest tribal region today, killing five suspected militants, according to intelligence officials. The Taliban identified one of them as Badar Mansoor, a prominent commander who has served as a key link to al-Qaeda. Mansoor led a group of more than 200 Pakistani Taliban fighters in the North Waziristan tribal area, the main sanctuary for militants in Pakistan, said a fellow insurgent. More»

Afghan Civilian Deaths Hit New High

More than 3K killed, mostly by Taliban

(NEWSER) - Last year was the worst for violence against Afghan civilians since the UN started keeping track five years ago, with 3,021 killed, according to the AP . The UN report attributed the 8% rise in civilian killings to a surge in roadside bombs and suicide attacks by insurgents, with Taliban-affiliated militants responsible for more than 75% of those killings. It is the fifth straight year that the civilian death toll has gone up, and last year that number was nearly twice as high as in 2007. More»

Backed By Pakistan, Taliban Set to Retake Afghanistan

ISI providing direct assistance, says secret NATO report viewed by the BBC

(NEWSER) - Big news from the BBC this morning: It says it has viewed a secret NATO report that suggests the Taliban will retake Afghanistan as soon as NATO exits the country, thanks in part to assistance it is receiving from Pakistan's ISI. The report was compiled following 27,000 interrogations of civilians and Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters, and the BBC describes it as "painful reading." Among its claims: That Pakistan is aware of the whereabouts of a number of high-ranking Taliban leaders; that some of these Taliban members live near ISI's Islamabad headquarters; and that Pakistan is actually manipulating and controlling the Taliban. "The Taliban are not Islam. The Taliban are Islamabad," said an al-Qaeda detainee, according to the report. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Taliban's No. 2 a Fierce, Intelligent Opponent of US