Reclusive Taliban leader endorses peace talks with Afghan government

MUMBAI, India — In his first message since the Afghan government opened peace talks with insurgents, the reclusive leader of the Afghan Taliban delivered an unexpected endorsement Wednesday, calling political dialogue “a legitimate Islamic principle.”

Mullah Mohammad Omar did not specifically mention the nascent talks that began this month in Pakistan, but his message ahead of Eid, one of the holiest days in the Islamic calendar, appeared to signal support among Taliban leaders for a peaceful settlement to the conflict.

“If we look into our religious regulations, we can find that meetings and even peaceful interactions with enemies are not prohibited,” read the statement published on the group’s website. “The objective behind our political endeavors … is to bring an end to the occupation and to establish an independent Islamic system in our country.”

The Taliban have been fighting since their ouster in 2001 to expel U.S.-led foreign forces and the U.S.backed government in Kabul. Most foreign troops left last year but at least 13,000 remain, most of them training Afghan forces.

The comments Wednesday came after Afghan government officials and Taliban representatives held their first direct meeting last week in the Pakistani town of Muree, outside Islamabad.

The encounter was over in less than a day, but Pakistani officials said the two sides agreed to meet again after Eid, which concludes the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Experts believe that the Taliban have become increasingly splintered in the 14 years since the U.S.-led invasion forced them from power in Afghanistan. Some Taliban members have said they reject talks with the Afghan government, which they view as a Western puppet.

Even the Taliban's leadership is known to be divided on the issue, with political chief Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, who frequently speaks for Mullah Omar, in favor of negotiations and top battlefield commander Abdul Qayum Zakir against them.

But the effort to open direct negotiations is believed to have the support of Mullah Omar, who sent a close aide, Mullah Abbas, to lead the Taliban delegation in Muree, according to Pakistani officials.

Mullah Omar himself has not been seen in public in years, and some disgruntled Taliban factions have suggested that he is either dead or very ill, and that others may be making statements in his name.

Mullah Omar, who headed the Taliban's hardline Islamist rule over Afghanistan for five years, has not been seen in public since the U.S. led intervention in 2001. Wednesday's statement did not include audio or a video.

In April, the Taliban published a 5,000-word biography that said their chief was alive, well and in regular contact with the world. Despite efforts to reassure Taliban commanders, some have defected to the Islamic State, led by the charismatic Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.