The man the U.S. and its allies hoped would be a moderate voice in Afghanistan’s Taliban government has been sidelined after a dramatic shootout within the presidential palace in Kabul, consistent with people with knowledge of the matter.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the group’s most public face who led peace talks with the U.S., was physically attacked by a pacesetter of the U.S. terrorist-designated Haqqani Network in early September during talks at the palace over forming the cupboard , the people said, asking to not be identified discussing the incident.
Baradar had pushed for an “inclusive” cabinet that included non-Taliban leaders and ethnic minorities, which might be more acceptable to the remainder of the planet , the people said. At one point during the meeting, Khalil ul Rahman Haqqani rose from his chair and commenced punching the Taliban leader.
Their bodyguards entered the fray and opened fire on one another , killing and wounding variety of them, the people said. While Baradar wasn’t injured he has since left the capital and headed to Kandahar — the group’s base — to talk with Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, effectively the Taliban’s spiritual head.
The cabinet lineup released on Sept. 7 included nobody from outside the Taliban, with about 90% of spots getting to ethnic Pashtuns from the group. Members of the Haqqani family received four positions, with Sirajuddin Haqqani — leader of the Haqqani Network who is on the FBI’s favorite list for terrorism — becoming acting interior minister. Baradar was named one among two deputy prime ministers. The Taliban and Haqqani groups merged around 2016.
The people said the top of Pakistan’s intelligence , who was in Kabul during the discussions, backed the Haqqanis over Baradar, who spent about eight years during a Pakistan prison before the Trump administration facilitated his release to participate in peace talks. The little-known Mullah Mohammad Hassan was chosen as prime minister rather than Baradar because he has better links with Islamabad and is not a threat to the Haqqani faction, they said.
The media office of the Pakistan military didn’t immediately answer an invitation for comment.
Over the past week, members of the Taliban have rejected reports of a clash. Baradar appeared on state-run television on Thursday to deny rumors he’d been wounded or maybe killed. Baradar wasn’t present on Sept. 12 to welcome Qatar’s secretary of state , Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-
Praise be to God, i’m safe and sound,” he said within the brief address. “Another statement made by the media that we’ve internal disputes is additionally completely not true.”
He ignored speculation over his absence during the visit of the Qatari delegation, where other cabinet members including several Haqqanis were present. The Gulf state had hosted Baradar for several years and facilitated negotiations with then Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to finish America’s longest war.
“I wasn’t conscious of the visit of the Qatari secretary of state ,” Baradar added. “I was traveling during the Qatari foreign minister’s visit to Kabul, and that i couldn’t shorten my trip and return to Kabul.”
Reached by phone, Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi said Baradar was “not sidelined and we’re expecting he’ll return soon.”
“There aren’t any differences among the leaders of the Islamic Emirate,” Karimi said. “They don’t brawl over any office or government positions.”
The divisions within the Taliban are a worrying sign for western nations which have urged the group to implement more moderate policies including respect for women’s rights. China and Pakistan are pressuring the U.S. to unfreeze Afghanistan’s reserves because the country faces soaring inflation and a looming depression .
The relationship between the Haqqani faction and therefore the Taliban has long been uneasy. Still, Anas Haqqani, a key leader of the group, also took to Twitter to deny any rift.
