TOMORROW (31 August 2021) is the deadline that cannot be pushed back. All American soldiers should have left Afghanistan by tomorrow night.
What will happen the day after tomorrow?
My hope: this one great mystery is revealed. Namely the appearance of the real supreme leader of the Taliban. Which so far has never appeared. Never mind the figure. Also his voice.
That is it: Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada. Age: no one knows. Place of residence: secret. The rest: still a mystery.
At least I am waiting for what fatwa he will say. He is Rais Syriac Afghanistan. Above the government. He will give the fatwa. Where is the new Afghanistan 2.0 policy headed.
The top Taliban leader who has emerged recently is "only" his deputy. "But the Western press has been hypnotized by the appearance of the new leaders. Don't believe it yet," said Husain Haqqani, 65.
Haqqani is a Pakistani figure living in America. He has been an ambassador at the United Nations and in several countries. He has been an adviser to two Pakistani prime ministers: Nawaz Syarif and Benazir Bhutto. He is a former student activist. Also a former journalist. Including having covered the war in Afghanistan for the American media.
But we also cannot trust Haqqani completely: he is too hated by Pakistani intelligence. He was considered too defending American interests.
"The Taliban are still the Taliban," he said. "Moderately the Taliban will remain repressive. Especially against women," he added.
Haqqani was somewhat surprised by the new attitude of the Taliban's top leaders. That looks so moderate. Who is willing to appear in front of a press conference. Who wants to be interviewed live by TV with Western journalist interviewers.
"But remember. They are not the supreme leader of the Taliban. Don't be tempted by those who have the ability to communicate in English," he said.
The supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, is still unseen. He was the third supreme leader in the history of the Taliban. He replaced Akhtar Mansour who was killed by the American attack.
That should no longer happen to Akhundzada. Its existence must be kept secret in layers. Moreover, two years ago there were strong rumors: he was killed in Pakistan.
Indeed, Akhundzada has been targeted for assassination twice. The first was 2012, when he was at his "hideout" in Quetta. It is the capital of Balochistan Province, Pakistan's poorest. Namely bordering Kandahar, Afghanistan. Both the Pakistani side and the Afghan side have the Pastun population. His fellow Pastuns transcend national boundaries.
You could say it was in Quetta that Akhundzada was hiding in the light. He was accepted in Quetta as a respected local religious leader. He was asked to become the leader of an educational institution that has many madrasas. How can foreign clerics be so deeply accepted in Pakistan if they are not really special.
In Quetta, someone stood in the middle of the Akhundzada recitation participants. Brandishing a gun. From close range. There was no bang. The gun jammed. The gun holder was immediately apprehended by Akhundzada's bodyguards.
The second happened exactly two years ago. To be precise, August 16, 2019. A huge explosion erupted at the mosque right after Friday prayers. Also in Balochistan Province, Pakistan. Almost half of the population is Pastun.
Akhundzada is safe. But his brother, Hafiz Ahmadullah, was killed. Hafiz also has roots in Pakistani territory. He succeeded his brother as head of the madrasa in Pakistan. Namely when his brother was appointed supreme leader of the Taliban in 2016.
When the bomb exploded, Akhundzada had just succeeded in leading the crackdown on the "Islamic State of Iraq" group (part of ISIS) in Eastern Afghanistan.
So, if the Taliban 2.0 states that they are anti-ISIS, it doesn't seem like a new attitude. Their leader led the crackdown on ISIS bases. And he himself almost became a victim of ISIS bombing.
Is Akhundzada really still alive? The Western press itself still believes that Akhundzada is still alive. It has even crossed the Pakistani border. Already headed for Kandahar, the "capital" of the Taliban. In Kandahar, Akhundzada is based in a secret place.
The Taliban's reputation for hiding their supreme leader is well known. For example, when the first supreme leader of the Taliban, Mohammed Omar, died. Due to chronic TB. The public only found out two years later. The place where he died was in a very poor house in a remote mountain.
Tomorrow or the day after is a day of long waiting. The Taliban themselves did not expect to take Kabul so quickly. According to the plan, they would only survive outside the city of Kabul. Then send a negotiator. To meet the government. They will negotiate power.
It turned out that Kabul was abandoned by the government. The Taliban were taken by surprise, as revealed at their press conference.
America itself was also shocked. Evacuation hasn't started yet. Everyone panics. Drive to the airport. Chaotic.
In the end, the United States managed to come to an agreement with the Taliban. Share tasks. Security inside the airport is America's responsibility. Outside the Taliban airport. That's how lax security is. Until there was a suicide bombing at the airport three days ago: 170 people died. Extraordinary. The perpetrator is ISIS based in Afghanistan. America mourns. The Taliban are grieving. We all grieve.
Tomorrow marks the 2nd anniversary of the Taliban's return to control of Afghanistan. The direction of the government is not clear. All waiting for the completion of the withdrawal of all foreign powers by tomorrow night.
Unless suddenly Akhundzada appears to give his fatwa. At least in his voice.
(Dahlan Iskan)
Portal
