Mullah Omar

December 11, 2024 | Bill Roggio |

Taliban’s minister of refugees killed in suicide attack in Kabul

Khalil al Rahman Haqqani, the Taliban’s minister of refugees and a terrorist wanted by the United States, was killed in a suicide attack today outside of his ministry building. Khalil served as the minister...

August 15, 2023 | Bill Roggio |

Two years after U.S. withdrawal, the Taliban enjoys an iron-fisted grip on Afghanistan

Two years ago on this day, the Taliban marched into Kabul and triumphantly seized back control of Afghanistan. Two weeks later, on Aug. 30, 2021, the last U.S. soldier left the country. Since the U.S....

September 19, 2022 | Bill Roggio |

U.S. frees Taliban narcotics kingpin in exchange for Navy veteran

The Taliban released Mark Frerichs, an American veteran who had been held hostage since early 2020, in exchange for Haji Bashir Noorzai, a convicted Taliban drug kingpin who was serving a life sentence...

August 22, 2022 | Bill Roggio |

Taliban circulates video of Haqqanis plotting 2010 suicide raid against U.S. troops

A video showing deputy Taliban emir and interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and other top terrorist commanders finishing preparations for a large scale suicide assault against U.S. forces based in the...

August 21, 2022 | Bill Roggio |

Taliban Appoints Former Guantanamo Bay Detainee to Lead Fight in Panjshir

The Taliban named Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir as its military commander in the restive central Afghan province of Panjshir. Zakir, who was held at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility for six years, is...

September 21, 2021 | Bill Roggio |

Influential Taliban commanders appointed to key positions in new regime

The Taliban tapped two important military commanders, one who is a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay and the other who worked closely with Iran’s Qods Force, to serve as deputies in the interior and defense...

September 20, 2021 | Jonathan Schanzer |

The Bizarre Positive Biden Spin on Afghanistan

No, the Taliban are not America’s partners

September 15, 2021 | Bill Roggio |

Taliban lionizes Haqqani commander who celebrated ties to Al Qaeda, held American hostage

The Taliban feted one of its famed commanders, Mullah Sangeen Zadran, on a new billboard that also showed Bowe Bergdahl, an American soldier who was held hostage by Sangeen and the Taliban for nearly five...

September 10, 2021 | Thomas Joscelyn |

How Taliban Revisionism Helped Doom Our Mission in Afghanistan

America’s policy has been divorced from reality for some years now.

September 8, 2021 | Bill Roggio, Thomas Joscelyn

Taliban’s government includes designated terrorists, ex-Guantanamo detainees

The Taliban has announced the formation of an “interim government” to rule over Afghanistan. The Taliban’s regime will be known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. This is entirely unsurprising....

September 3, 2021 | Thomas Joscelyn

Taliban blames America for 9/11 in video celebrating its own suicide squads

The Taliban blames America for the 9/11 hijackings in a newly-released video that was aired on Afghan television. The production, “Victorious Force 3,” is the latest in a series of short films celebrating...

August 31, 2021 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Al Qaeda praises Taliban’s ‘historic victory’ in Afghanistan

Al Qaeda’s senior leadership has released a two-page statement congratulating the Islamic ummah on the occasion of the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan. The brief message was distributed online by As...

August 22, 2021 | Bill Roggio, Thomas Joscelyn

Taliban’s special forces outfit providing ‘security’ at Kabul airport

Taliban-linked social media accounts claim that members of the group’s Badri 313 outfit are providing “security” at Kabul’s international airport. Badri 313 is a special forces wing of the Taliban’s...

August 12, 2021 | Bill Roggio, Andrew Tobin

Kandahar City falls to the Taliban

The Taliban continues to wrack up a string of major victories today. Kandahar City, the country’s second largest city, collapsed after Taliban forces besieged it for more than two months. It is the third...

May 11, 2021 | Bill Roggio |

When the US leaves Afghanistan, the world will become less safe

Last weekend’s vicious school bombing in the Afghan capital killed more than 60 people and injured more than 150 others, most of them schoolgirls. Sadly, this was no isolated incident. Since President...

April 2, 2021 | Bill Roggio |

As U.S. seeks peace, Taliban celebrates its jihadist training camps

As the Biden administration desperately presses the Taliban and the Afghan government to settle the 20 year old war for control of Afghanistan before the May 1 deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw, the...

October 7, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

The Failures of Operation Enduring Freedom

The chief aim in late 2001 should have been the swift destruction of al-Qaeda. That didn’t happen.

July 7, 2020 | Bill Roggio |

Taliban again denies Al Qaeda is in Afghanistan

In an effort to keep up the facade of a ‘peace’ deal with the U.S. government, the Taliban has yet again denied that Al Qaeda has a presence in Afghanistan. This time, the group refuted a Department...

May 13, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

The Taliban Is Still the Main Driver of Violence in Afghanistan

Two recent attacks by ISIS only obscure that the Taliban is attacking the Afghan government daily.

April 29, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

How China’s Repressive Policies Could Fuel the Jihad

The CCP’s harsh treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang could very well drive more people into the arms of both al-Qaeda and ISIS.