US embassy cable - 97ISLAMABAD2533

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ISLAMABAD 002533 
 
 
DEPT FOR SA/PAB AND EUR/CEN; LONDON FOR POL/TUELLER; PARIS FOR 
POL/RAVELING; ROME FOR POL/DEMPSEY; MBABANE FOR MALINOWSKI 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  3/28/07 
TAGS:  PGOV, KISL, PREL, PINR, AF 
SUBJECT:  AFGHANISTAN:  THE ENIGMATIC MULLAH OMAR AND TALIBAN 
DECISION-MAKING 
 
REFS:  (A) ISLAMABAD 2488 
       (B) 96 ISLAMABAD 10540 
       (C) 96 PESHAWAR 926 
 
1.  (U) CLASSIFIED BY JOHN C. HOLZMAN, DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION. 
REASON:  1.5 (C) (D). 
 
2.  (U) THIS CABLE WAS COORDINATED WITH CONSULATE PESHAWAR. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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3.  (C) NOT MUCH IS KNOWN ABOUT MULLAH OMAR, THE TALIBAN FOUNDER 
AND LEADER.  HE COMES FROM A SMALL VILLAGE NEAR KANDAHAR AND HIS 
FAMILY, WHILE RESPECTED, DID NOT BELONG TO THE AFGHAN ELITE.  A 
SMALL-TIME COMMANDER IN THE AFGHAN RESISTANCE, HE FORMED THE 
TALIBAN IN LATE 1994 AS A REACTION AGAINST "IMMORAL" LOCAL 
COMMANDERS.  HE RARELY APPEARS IN PUBLIC AND DOES NOT MEET WITH 
MANY NON-MUSLIMS.  THOSE WHO HAVE MET HIM SAY HE IS A MAN OF FEW 
WORDS AND LIVES IN SPARTAN SURROUNDINGS.   ALTHOUGH HIS POLITICAL 
BELIEFS ARE OBSCURE, MOST OBSERVERS AGREE THAT OMAR PLAYS THE KEY, 
AND PROBABLY DECISIVE, ROLE IN TALIBAN DECISION-MAKING. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
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NOT MUCH BIO-DATA 
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4.  (C) SHORTLY AFTER THE TALIBAN SEIZED KABUL IN SEPTEMBER 1996, 
THE TALIBAN MOVEMENT ANNOUNCED THAT MULLAH MOHAMMAD OMAR, THE 
TALIBAN FOUNDER AND LEADER, WOULD SERVE AS THE HEAD OF THEIR 
"ISLAMIC STATE OF AFGHANISTAN."  IN THIS CAPACITY, HIS TITLE 
REMAINS "AMIR AL-MU'MININ" ("COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL"), WHICH A 
TALIBAN-CONVENED GROUP OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS CONFERRED ON HIM IN 
APRIL 1996 IN KANDAHAR CITY.  OMAR, WHO IS APPROXIMATELY 38, IS 
FROM THE MAIWAND DISTRICT OF KANDAHAR PROVINCE AND IS A MEMBER OF 
THE HOTAK SUB-TRIBE OF THE GHILZAI TRIBE (REF C).  OMAR WAS A 
RELATIVELY UNKNOWN COMMANDER IN THE AFGHAN-SOVIET WAR, WHO 
MAINTAINED AFFILIATIONS WITH HEZB-I-ISLAMI (KHALIS) AND HARAKAT-I- 
INQILAB-ISLAMI (MOHAMMEDI).  HE LOST HIS RIGHT EYE IN THE WAR. 
AFTER THE FALL OF THE COMMUNIST REGIME IN 1992, OMAR, WHO 
REPORTEDLY HAS TWO WIVES, RETURNED TO A MADRASSA, WHICH HE HAD 
ATTENDED IN HIS YOUTH, IN HIS HOME VILLAGE OF SANGASAR, NEAR 
KANDAHAR CITY.  IT WAS FROM THIS VILLAGE THAT MULLAH OMAR AND 
FELLOW TALIBS, ANGERED ABOUT THE "IMMORAL BEHAVIOR" OF LOCAL 
COMMANDERS, BEGAN THE TALIBAN MOVEMENT IN THE FALL OF 1994. 
 
5.  (C) ASKED ABOUT OMAR'S BACKGROUND, HAMID KARZAI, THE DEPUTY 
LEADER OF THE LARGE POPALZAI TRIBE, TOLD POLOFF MARCH 22 THAT OMAR 
CAME FROM A FAMILY LOCALLY RESPECTED FOR ITS RELIGIOUS PIETY, BUT 
NOT INVOLVED IN POLITICS:  "OMAR'S FATHER WAS A LOCAL RELIGIOUS 
LEADER, BUT THE FAMILY WAS POOR AND HAD ABSOLUTELY NO POLITICAL 
LINKS IN KANDAHAR OR KABUL.  THEY WERE ESSENTIALLY LOWER MIDDLE 
CLASS AFGHANS AND WERE DEFINITELY NOT MEMBERS OF THE ELITE." 
AGREEING WITH KARZAI'S ASSESSMENT, HAMED GAILANI, SON OF PIR 
GAILANI AND A LEADER OF THE SMALL NATIONAL ISLAMIC FRONT OF 
AFGHANISTAN (NIFA), TOLD POLOFF MARCH 23 THAT "OMAR IS ADMIRED BY 
THE TALIBAN FOR THREE REASONS:  HIS RELIGIOUS PIETY, HIS REPUTATION 
FOR INCORRUPTIBILITY, AND HIS BRAVERY IN THE JIHAD.  BECAUSE OF 
THESE QUALITIES, HE IS CONSIDERED LIKE A TEACHER, A GUIDE." 
 
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FEW PUBLIC APPEARANCES 
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6.  (C) MULLAH MOHAMMAD OMAR IS RARELY SEEN IN PUBLIC.  ONE OF THE 
FEW TIMES HE HAS MADE A PUBLIC APPEARANCE WAS IN APRIL, 1996, WHEN 
HE ACCEPTED THE AMIR AL-MU'MININ TITLE AND HELD THE "CLOAK OF THE 
PROPHET" (A KANDAHARI RELIC) IN FRONT OF A CROWD.  HE ALSO 
PERSONALLY INAUGURATED A TALIBAN-SPONSORED REFURBISHMENT OF THE 
MAUSOLEUM OF AHMAD SHAH DURRANI IN KANDAHAR.  WHETHER HE CHOOSES TO 
REMAIN SHROUDED IN SECRECY OR IS A GENUINE RECLUSE IS NOT CLEAR, 
BUT MULLAH MALANG, A FORMER RESISTANCE COMMANDER WHO KNOWS MANY OF 
THE TALIBAN LEADERS, TOLD POLOFF ON MARCH 26 THAT MULLAH OMAR HAS 
NO DESIRE TO DEVELOP A PUBLIC PERSONALITY:  "WHAT YOU MUST REALIZE 
IS THAT OMAR IS TOTALLY INNER-DIRECTED.  HIS LEGITIMACY COMES FROM 
GOD AND NOT FROM THE PUBLIC; BECAUSE OF THIS, HE FEELS NO NEED TO 
EMERGE FROM HIS CHAMBERS. IN ADDITION, HE DOES NOT WANT TO MEET 
ANYONE WHO MAY DIVERT HIM FROM HIS CHOSEN COURSE." 
 
-------------------------------- 
A RELUCTANCE TO MEET NON-MUSLIMS 
-------------------------------- 
 
7.  (C) MALANG'S REMARKS HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IN TRYING TO 
GET TO KNOW MULLAH OMAR:  HE DOES NOT MEET MANY NON-MUSLIMS.  TO 
OUR KNOWLEDGE, HE HAS MET WITH NON-MUSLIMS ONLY TWO TIMES:  HE MET 
UNICEF AFGHAN REPRESENTATIVE JIM MOHAN IN 1996 FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 
MINUTES, AND AGAIN IN 1996 HE MET (BRIEFLY) WITH A RUSSIAN 
DELEGATION SEEKING THE RELEASE OF MEMBERS OF A RUSSIAN AIRCREW 
WHICH WAS CAPTURED AND DETAINED BY THE TALIBAN FROM 1995 TO 1996. 
FRANCIS OKELO, THE DEPUTY HEAD OF THE UN SPECIAL MISSION FOR 
AFGHANISTAN (UNSMA), TOLD POLOFF MARCH 21 THAT UN SPECIAL ENVOY 
HOLL (A NON-MUSLIM GERMAN) HAS REQUESTED MEETINGS WITH OMAR ON 
SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND BEEN TURNED DOWN EVERY TIME.  ASKED WHETHER 
THE UNSMA HAD EVER RECEIVED AN EXPLANATION FROM THE TALIBAN, OKELO 
REPLIED THAT "THEY BASICALLY TELL US THAT HE IS ALWAYS BUSY AND 
INTIMATE THAT HE DOES NOT LIKE TO MEET WITH NON-MUSLIMS."  IN 
ADDITION, UNOCHA COORDINATOR ALFREDO WITSCHI-CESTARI (A NON-MUSLIM) 
RECENTLY EXPRESSED OPTIMISM TO THE DCM THAT HIS REQUEST TO MEET 
WITH OMAR IN KANDAHAR TO EXPLAIN UN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE/ 
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS WOULD BE GRANTED.  (COMMENT:  THIS REMAINS TO 
BE SEEN.) 
 
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A MAN OF FEW WORDS 
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8.  (C) THOSE WHO HAVE MET MULLAH OMAR REMARK THAT HE IS A MAN OF 
DECIDEDLY FEW WORDS, AND ONE WHO KEEPS TO SIMPLE SURROUNDINGS.  ON 
MARCH 21, IBRAHIM BAKR, THE OIC SPECIAL ENVOY FOR AFGHANISTAN, TOLD 
DCM THAT HE HAD MET OMAR ON MARCH 15 TO REQUEST LENIENCE FOR TWO 
JAILED FRENCHMEN HELD IN KABUL BY THE TALIBAN ON VAGUE CHARGES OF 
IMMORALITY.  (NOTE:  AFTER A BRIEF TRIAL, THE FRENCHMEN WERE 
RELEASED ON MARCH 19.)  BAKR DESCRIBED THE MEETING:  "I EXPLAINED 
WHY I THOUGHT THE FRENCHMEN SHOULD BE RELEASED AND AT THE END OF MY 
COMMENTS MULLAH OMAR SAID 'THANK YOU.  WE WILL CONSIDER THAT.'" 
BAKR ADDED THAT OMAR'S OFFICE (WHICH APPARENTLY DOUBLED AS HIS 
BEDROOM) WAS SPARSE AND DIMLY LIT.  THE ONLY FURNITURE WAS A 
CHARPOY (SIMPLE WOODEN BED) AND A WARDROBE.  GUESTS SAT ON THE 
FLOOR, LOOKING UP AT OMAR, WHO SAT ON THE CHARPOY.  ANOTHER PERSON 
WHO MET OMAR, IFTIKHAR MURSHED, ADDITIONAL SECRETARY (AFGHANISTAN) 
AT THE PAKISTANI MFA, TOLD US DECEMBER 15 THAT, DURING A DECEMBER 
8 DELEGATION VISIT TO KANDAHAR, A PAKISTANI DELEGATION MET OMAR AND 
IN THAT MEETING "THE PAKISTANIS SPOKE FOR THE FIRST 85 MINUTES AND 
OMAR FOR THE LAST FIVE."   IN THIS MEETING (REF B), MURSHED 
RECOUNTED THAT THE GIST OF OMAR'S COMMENTS WERE, "I AM VERY GLAD 
YOU HAVE COME; I HAVE LISTENED VERY CAREFULLY."  (NOTE:  MURSHED 
HAS ALSO TOLD DCM THAT THE PAKISTANI CONSUL GENERAL IN KANDAHAR HAS 
EASY ACCESS TO OMAR.")  IN DESCRIBING HIS MEETING WITH OMAR, UNICEF 
REPRESENTATIVE MOHAN SAID HE DID ALL THE SPEAKING AND RECEIVED 
LITTLE REACTION FROM OMAR. 
 
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POLITICAL BELIEFS ARE OBSCURE 
----------------------------- 
 
9.  (C) THE LIMITED ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE AVAILABLE PROVIDES LITTLE 
INFORMATION ON MULLAH OMAR'S PERSONAL POLITICAL BELIEFS.  MOST 
OBSERVERS DO NOT THINK THAT HE IS AN "IKHWANI" OR "FUNDAMENTALIST 
MUSLIM" IN THE CLASSIC MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SENSE.  IN A MARCH 20 
CONVERSATION, DR. GHAIRAT BAHEER, THE ISLAMABAD REPRESENTATIVE FOR 
HEZB-I-ISLAMI AND SON-IN-LAW OF ISLAMIC RADICAL GULBUDDIN 
HEKMATYAR, COMMENTED THAT "OMAR IS TOO POORLY EDUCATED IN ISLAMIC 
PRINCIPLES TO BE AN IKHWANI; HE IS BASICALLY A FERVENT MUSLIM WITH 
OBSCURANTIST TENDENCIES WHOSE VIEWS ARE STRONGLY AFFECTED BY HIS 
TRIBAL BACKGROUND."  INDEED, THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST 
THAT MULLAH OMAR IS AN ISLAMIC RADICAL WITH AN ANTI-WESTERN AGENDA. 
HE HAS NOT BEEN KNOWN TO MAKE ANTI-WESTERN STATEMENTS, ALTHOUGH HE 
IS KNOWN TO BE ANTI-RUSSIAN BECAUSE OF THE AFGHAN-SOVIET WAR. 
HOWEVER, WE RECENTLY HEARD ONE COMMENT THAT INDICATES THAT OMAR MAY 
HAVE SOME ANTAGONISM TOWARD THE WEST:  ABDUL HADI, THE TALIBAN 
DEPUTY GOVERNOR OF ZABUL PROVINCE AND THEIR (SELF-DESCRIBED) CHOICE 
FOR GOVERNOR OF WARDAK PROVINCE, TOLD DCM ON MARCH 17 THAT HE HAD 
ATTENDED A MEETING MARCH 1 IN WHICH OMAR HAD DEFENDED THE TALIBAN'S 
RELATIONSHIP WITH FUGITIVE SAUDI FINANCIER BIN LADEN -- "OMAR TOLD 
US THAT WE HAVE TO HELP BIN LADEN BECAUSE HE IS A GOOD, ISLAMIC 
PERSON, WHO IS FIGHTING THE KAFFIRS (UNBELIEVERS)."  (NOTE:  SEE 
REF A ON A MARCH 25 MEETING BETWEEN OMAR AND FUGITIVE EX-SAUDI 
FINANCIER OSAMA BIN LADEN.) 
 
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TALIBAN DECISION-MAKING:  OMAR AND THE SHURA 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
10.  (C) MOST OBSERVERS BELIEVE THAT OMAR HAS A KEY, AND PROBABLY 
DECISIVE, ROLE IN TALIBAN DECISION-MAKING.  THEY NOTE, FOR EXAMPLE, 
THAT VIRUALLY EVERY IMPORTANT TALIBAN EDICT ON SOCIAL ISSUES OR THE 
MILITARY SITUATION COMES OUT IN HIS NAME.  IN ADDITION, HE 
REPORTEDLY MAKES HIGH-LEVEL PERSONNEL DECISIONS.  TAYYAB HUSSAINI, 
A SECOND SECRETARY AT THE AFGHAN EMBASSY AND A TALIB, TOLD POLOFF 
ON MARCH 14 THAT "THE AMIR AL-MU'MININ HAS TOTAL CONTROL OF 
PERSONNEL DECISIONS.  OF COURSE, HE MAKES THESE DECISIONS IN 
CONSULTATION WITH OTHER SHURA MEMBERS."  POLOFF ASKED HUSSAINI 
ABOUT THE PRECISE NATURE OF OMAR'S RELATIONSHIP WITH MEMBERS OF THE 
SHURA.  IN RESPONSE, HUSSAINI OBSERVED THAT POLICY DECISIONS ARE 
MADE IN KANDAHAR AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE "CARETAKER COUNCIL" IN 
KABUL, WHICH GIVES ORDERS TO TALIBAN PROVINCIAL CHIEFS.  SOMEWHAT 
CONFUSINGLY, HE THEN ADDED THAT BEFORE MAKING DECISIONS OMAR 
CONSULTS CLOSELY WITH MULLAH RABBANI, THE HEAD OF THE "CARETAKER 
COUNCIL" AND MULLAH HASSAN, THE DEPUTY HEAD OF THE "CARETAKER 
COUNCIL."  (FORMER COMMANDER RAHIM WARDAK, IN A RECENT CONVERSATION 
WITH THE DCM, ALSO INDICATED THAT OMAR CONSULTS WIDELY AMONG SENIOR 
TALIBAN OFFICIALS; HOWEVER, AFTER HEARING VARIOUS VIEWPOINTS, OMAR 
SOMETIMES COMES UP WITH A DECISION COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM ANY OF 
THE EXPRESSED VIEWS AND THEN EXPECTS IMPLEMENTATION.  BASED ON 
WARDAK'S COMMENTS, ONE COULD CONCLUDE THAT OMAR WAS A BIT OF A 
"CONTROL FREAK.")  HIROSHI TAKAHASHI, AN UNSMA POLITICAL OFFICER, 
TOLD POLOFF ON MARCH 5 THAT HE THOUGHT THAT TWO OTHER KEY ADVISERS 
FOR OMAR ARE ANOTHER MULLAH HASSAN, THE GOVERNOR OF KANDAHAR AND 
FOUR NEIGHBORING PROVINCES, AND MULLAH JALIL, A TALIBAN "DEPUTY 
FOREIGN MINISTER," WHO IS STATIONED IN KANDAHAR. 
 
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COMMENT 
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11.  (C) WHILE REPORTS VARY OF HOW WILLING OR RELUCTANT MULLAH OMAR 
WAS TO ACCEPT THE TITLE "AMIR AL-MU'MININ" FROM THE ASSEMBLED 
TALIBAN IN KANDAHAR IN APRIL 1996, NEVERTHELESS HE DID ACCEPT IT. 
CREATED EARLY IN ISLAMIC HISTORY AND FIRST USED BY THE SECOND OF 
THE ORTHODOX CALIPHS, OMAR, THE TITLE HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY A SERIES 
OF MUSLIM POLITIES UP TO THE PRESENT DAY.  IN THE SUNNI ISLAMIC 
WORLD, THE ADOPTION OF THE TITLE IMPLIED THE CLAIM EITHER TO THE 
CALIPHATE OR TO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL AUTHORITY OVER A REGION OF THE 
ISLAMIC WORLD.  NOT EVEN THE MOST IDEOLOGICAL TALIBAN CLAIM THAT 
OMAR WITH HIS TITLE IS A SUCCESSOR TO THE CALIPHATE, MOST RECENTLY 
HELD IN OTTOMAN TURKEY.  BUT, IN THE SECOND SENSE, THE TALIBAN ARE 
MOST CERTAINLY CLAIMING AUTHORITY OVER THE AFGHAN REGION OF THE 
ISLAMIC WORLD.  OMAR BUTTRESSED THIS CLAIM BY DISPLAYING "THE CLOAK 
OF THE PROPHET" WHEN HE ASSUMED THE TITLE OF AMIR AL-MU'MININ. 
ALSO, IN MORE RECENT HISTORY, THE TITLE HAS HAD A STRONG 
IDEOLOGICAL RESONANCE AMONG SOME REFORMIST, MESSIANIC, AND MILITANT 
ISLAMIC MOVEMENTS, RESPONDING TO WHAT THEY PERCEIVE AS THE CORRUPT 
AND IRRELIGIOUS WAYS OF THE EXISTING RULERS.  BESIDES THE TALIBAN, 
SOME OTHER ISLAMIC MOVEMENTS ON AFGHAN SOIL HAVE USED THIS TITLE. 
FOR EXAMPLE, A WAHHABI SECT WITH STRONG ARAB BACKING, MOST ACTIVE 
IN KUNAR PROVINCE, UNTIL QUITE RECENTLY CALLED ITS LEADER "AMIR 
AL-MU'MININ." 
 
12.  (C) IN CONTRAST TO MANY OF THE HOLDERS OF THE TITLE IN 
CLASSICAL ISLAM OR TO MANY OF THE LAWLESS COMMANDERS THE TALIBAN 
OUSTED OR COOPTED, OMAR LIVES AUSTERELY, WITHOUT AN ELABORATE COURT 
AND ENTOURAGE, AND WITHOUT THE UBIQUITOUS PAJERO'S SO MANY 
MUJAHIDIN COMMANDERS SPED AROUND THE COUNTRYSIDE IN.  WHETHER 
OMAR'S ASCETIC LIFESTYLE IS BASED SOLELY ON HIS TEMPERAMENT OR IS 
COLDLY CALCULATED TO SET HIM AND HIS MOVEMENT APART FROM THE 
DISCREDITED MUJAHIDIN COMMANDERS AND LEADERS THE TALIBAN REPLACED, 
MANY AFGHANS REACT APPROVINGLY.  SO FAR, NO PERSONALITY CULT OR 
EMPEROR SYNDROME APPEARS TO HAVE DEVELOPED AROUND MULLAH OMAR. 
 
13.  (C) OMAR, AS REPORTING IN OTHER CHANNELS SUGGESTS, MAY BE 
ADOPTING INCREASINGLY HARDLINE ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE WEST AND 
ISSUES ABOUT WHICH THE U.S. IS CONCERNED (NARCOTICS, TERRORISM). 
WHAT IS MOTIVATING THIS IS DIFFICULT TO ASSESS:  GENUINE 
IDEOLOGICAL CONVICTIONS, A GROWING RESENTMENT THAT THE WEST HAS NOT 
ACCEPTED THE TALIBAN AS A LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT, A BAZAAR 
BARGAINING ATTITUDE, FINANCIAL AND LOGISTICAL SQUEEZES ON THE 
TALIBAN, OUTSIDERS' ADVICE, OR SOME OTHER FACTOR COULD ALL PLAY A 
ROLE. 
 
14.  (C) ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE EMBASSY HAS ASKED WHETHER A 
MEETING WITH OMAR MIGHT BE POSSIBLE, BUT NOTHING HAS EVER COME OF 
IT.  THIS IS UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT U.S. VIEWS 
GET THROUGH TO OMAR ACCURATELY, GIVEN HIS KEY ROLE IN THE TALIBAN 
DECISION-MAKING PROCESS.  AT THIS POINT, BASED ON THE TALIBAN'S 
HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD AND DETERMINATION TO END THE CONFLICT BY 
MILITARY MEANS, IT WOULD SEEM THAT IF HE IS HEARING OUR MESSAGE 
FROM OTHER HIGH-LEVEL TALIBAN AND FROM U.S. PUBLIC STATEMENTS, HE 
IS NOT LISTENING TO IT. 
 
 
SIMONS