In an article titled “Taliban Reels From Leader’s Death in U.S. Drone Strike”, written by Jessica Donati and Habib Khan Totakhil and carried by The Wall Street Journal, the two reporters note how:
“The death of Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour could accelerate the breakup of a movement that ruled Afghanistan and gave sanctuary to Al-Qaeda before a U.S.-led invasion drove it from power in 2001 according to Afghans who track the group.”
They also wrote that, “…those seen as the most likely to now take over the Taliban are considered even less inclined than Mullah Mansour to reconcile with a U.S.-backed government they have fought for years, according to the Afghan observers. His killing could precipitate another battle over leadership, one that could cause the Taliban to fragment further.”
Anton Fedyashin, professor of history at the American University in Washington DC (studio guest) and Tayyab Baloch, Islamabad-based journalist, reporter at Abb Takk TV, and writer for GPolit.com, joined us to discuss the issue.