The unusual message kicked off a debate within the administration about whether it was truly authored by the mysterious one-eyed preacher believed to be directing the Taliban from hiding in Pakistan - and its meaning for US efforts to forge a negotiated end to 10 years of war.
"As we have engaged various interlocutors as part of the reconciliation process, we have received a variety of messages that were represented as being from senior members of the Taliban," an administration official said on condition of anonymity.
"However, we haven't received a letter that we are certain is from Mullah Omar."
The message reportedly expressed impatience that the White House had not yet transferred five former senior Taliban officials out of Guantanamo Bay military prison.
US officials have been considering moving the detainees to Afghan custody in the Gulf state of Qatar as one of a series of good-faith measures that, if successful, could lead to talks on Afghanistan's future between militants and the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
The accelerating efforts to set such talks in motion are now a central part of the Obama administration's strategy for leaving behind a modicum of stability as it winds down the US combat mission in Afghanistan.
After over 10 years of war, Washington and its Western allies are announcing their plans to steadily withdraw their troops amid doubts whether the chronically weak, corrupt Afghan government can confront ongoing violence.
Last month, the Taliban made a surprise announcement that it would open a political office in Qatar, suggesting the group may have moderated and would be willing to engage in negotiations that would likely give them government positions or official control over much of their historical southern heartland.
But whether or not the Taliban is truly interested in entertaining authentic political negotiations, or simply wants to recover its prisoners, is unclear.
The impact of the letter received last year on the reconciliation efforts, headed by Obama's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Marc Grossman, is likewise unclear.
The administration official said the Obama administration is "skeptical" the letter was actually from Mullah Omar. "There's no signature. However, it expresses views consistent with what Taliban interlocutors have told us all along."
US officials say no decision has been made to go ahead with the transfer, but the White House is already facing pushback from members of Congress who warn the Taliban is not a credible negotiating partner and believe transferred detainees could rejoin the fight.
While Congress does not have the power to block the move, the White House might rethink such a risky move if serious bipartisan friction emerged in a presidential election year.
COMMENTS (22)
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With the change in directions of winds, Mullah Omar got an opportunity to write a letter to US President Obama for transfer of five former senior Taliban officials out of Guantanamo Bay military prison as part of reconciliation process between US and talibans.
I reserve my comments about repercussions and consequences of this peace deal. But taking this opprotunity I would like to write an open letter to mullah Omar that benefits of peace deal must be extended to children of Afganistan and Pakistan too. Various research groups of epidemiologists believe that religious opposition by Muslim fundamentalists is a major factor in the failure of immunization programs against polio in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. This religious conflict in the tribal areas of Pakistan is one of the biggest hindrances to effective polio vaccination. Epidemiologists have detected transmission of wild poliovirus from polio-endemic districts in Afghanistan, most of which are located in the southern region of this country bordering Pakistan, to tribal areas of Pakistan. This transmission has resulted in new cases of polio in previously polio-free districts. The local Taliban have issued fatwas denouncing vaccination as an American ploy to sterilize Muslim populations. Another common superstition spread by extremists is that vaccination is an attempt to avert the will of Allah. The Taliban have assassinated vaccination officials, including Abdul Ghani Marwat, who was the head of the government’s vaccination campaign in Bajaur Agency in the Pakistani tribal areas, on his way back from meeting a religious cleric. Over the past year, several kidnappings and beatings of vaccinators have been reported. Vaccination campaigns in Nigeria and Afghanistan have also been hampered by Islamic extremists. Mullah Omar, at present, you are supreme commander of this prevailing mindset and people of its ilk. Your single fatwa can make a big difference and Polio can be eradicated from two polio-ridden countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
this is called friendship us style...had their been a correspondence between others there would have been a hue and cry.
How come all these Phantom letters always seem to originate from Pakistan?
If Pakistan thinks that USA has lost so be it. I remember that Pakistan had also negotiated TWICE with the terrorists and last year, NA authorised to start negotiating with them again. So this means that Pakistan las LOST three times and have learnt NOTHING.
The taliban just denied writing them a letter and they might be right. Since the beginning of this war the US has been lying non stop to its allies, to the international community and to its own people. They keep insisting they are winning and gaining momentum even though they are desperately struggling there. The US no longer has any strings to pull in Afghanistan so well all they cant do is spread misinformation and create propaganda.
Afghanistan has been in the state of war for over thirty years.The defunct Ussr fought a loosing battle for ten years causing loss of millions of human life mostly civilians.The economy collapsed and millions of people became refugees.The so called the supporters of mujahideen against the communist forces left the scene in haste soon the Moscow called it a day.the vacuum so created in the lawless devastated country was filled by Taliban and Alquida.They together plunged the devastated country in civil war.Millions more were killed during ten years of their misadventure.Now that NATO and USA after ten years of misadventure,loss of millions of humans and few trillions of dollars have decided to leave Afghanistan ,they should ensure that there is no vacuum this time.Hence Mulla umar and other notable Afghans may be invited to negotiate end of hostilities.Releasing a few gitmo guys will be a good gesture and prove to Mulla umar that negotiation is the right way to all dispute.After thirty tears of war in Afghanistan I see no winner.Do you?
i smell the rise of taliban in afghanistan, the brutalities against human race, the killings, the public executions and US president is gearing up for his election compaign by negotiating with these animals for a peace deal, what sort of peace deal is it any way, is it a peace deal for US troops.
@Tony C.: @John B: US policy.....it has no policy except poking in other nations issues particularly tose of weaker ones. Where is the policy when it comes to nortk korea...venezuela...US understands one language only....spoken by Venezuelan Chavez
@John B Keep deluding yourself with such Hollywood dialogues, US has a history of incubating terrorists and then when they get out of control for them , they quickly cut deals and exit leaving a mess in behind. The above is exactly the case in point. Pick up a newspaper and read it, they are negotiating with them and I guarantee you they will quietly give in to this demand.
US has lost war with Talibans, negotiations are the proof
If this is true , i request all Pro taliban Pakistanis to wake up now, still do you think we should support this Taliban, who is not acting as our friend. . Americans kill our people in large, they balme us for every thing & Taliban goes & acts as an American ally, do you think its worth loving or even supporting now.
Wake Up, atleast now, when every thing is crystal clear
Pakistan Zindabad
I suppose it is a silly question, but why are Taliban men being held at Gitmo? I am not really aware of any crimes committed against the U.S. by the Taliban. Rather it appears to be the other way about.
US is desperate lol
Obama heeding to Taliban's request. So it is Official ...... this is the worst and far more humiliating defeat of USA than Vietnam. This will be first when USA will be negotiating with what they called a terrorist organization. Makes one wonder why venture at territories to face humiliation later and still call it as victory.
Pen-Friends Haha What a headline :D
wt*. Now Mullah Umer is directly in contact with his buddy in Washington. What next ? Obama replying him back with a love letter ?
if mullah umar was in Pakistan ,it would be a letter gate
So why are they telling us this after one whole year?
Yes ! Not in this lifetime, but maybe in the next !!!
It is the policy of the US not to negotiate in prisoner exchange under the threat, and I doubt Obama administration or even a new administration will do prisoner transfer on near term without any serious progress in Afghan peace process, whatever that may be.
and they blame pakistan of supporting taliban