[RFE/RL] A Taliban faction in Afghanistan says the Islamist movement may split into two groups because they cannot agree on who should be leader following the death of Mullah Omar. The dispute emerged after Afghan intelligence revealed in August that Mullah Omar had been dead for more than two years, an announcement later confirmed by the Taliban.A hastily called meeting chose Omar's deputy, Mullah Mansur, to take charge. But a number of influential commanders were angered that Mansur had concealed Omar's death. Mullah Abdul Manan Niazi, a spokesman for the anti-Mansur faction, said on September 19 that talks between Mansur and the dissatisfied commanders had failed.
| They'd got on fine without a leader for two full years, after all. Under the circumstances, what need is there for a non-imaginary Number One? |