Hopes for reviving the Afghan peace process have risen once again. Meetings on Jan. 11 and Jan. 18 in Islamabad and Kabul brought Afghan and Pakistani officials together with representatives from the United States and China in order to chart a path toward resuming peace negotiations. Discussions with the Taliban broke off in early July when Afghan sources revealed that the insurgency’s spiritual leader, Mullah Omar, had been dead for two years. It was with Omar’s supposed blessing that Mullah Akhtar Mansour, his second-in-command, participated in the Pakistan-hosted July meeting. Mansour’s cover-up of Omar’s death reportedly angered many within the Taliban’s senior command, and his self-appointment as successor brought about challenges to his leadership, including those from his chief rival Mullah Mohammad Rasool. A harried Mansour then backed out of a second round of talks.
Strategic Perspectives Through Research and Dialogue
