Taliban founder Mullah Omar lived next to a US base in the Afghan province of Zabul for years, Dutch journalist Bette Dam claims in her new Dutch-language book "Searching for the Enemy."

"The US, and almost everyone else, had it wrong," Dam, who spent eight years researching the Taliban leader, wrote in an English-language excerpt. "After 2001, Mullah Omar never stepped foot in Pakistan, instead opting to hide in this native land — and for eight years, lived just a few miles from a major US Forward Operating Base that housed thousands of soldiers."

Dam said the finding was corroborated by Taliban and Afghan officials, including Mullah Omar's personal bodyguard. She described it as a "staggering US intelligence failure."

"Though Mullah Omar did not venture outside for fear of being caught, according to (bodyguard) Jabbar Omari, in the four years they hid in that home they felt relatively safe," added Dam.

Read more: Afghanistan: Can peace prevail?

'Delusional claim'

The revelation counters the narrative put forward by Afghan and US officials, that Mullah Omar lived in exile in Pakistan, where he eventually died.

"We strongly reject this delusional claim and we see it is as an effort to create and build an identity for the Taliban and their foreign backers," said Afghan presidency spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri. "We have sufficient evidence which shows he lived and died in Pakistan."

David Petraeus, a former CIA director and US military commander in Afghanistan, cast doubt on the claim, telling the Wall Street Journal newspaper: "I would be very surprised if Mullah Omar would have taken the risk that we could come calling some evening." According to Dam, US troops nearly discovered him twice.

Read more: Germany's Afghanistan military mission: What comes next?

Shadow over peace talks

The revelation comes as Washington considers winding down the American deployment in Afghanistan. Washington has joined in peace negotiations with the Taliban, which it ousted from power in 2001 for harboring 9/11 attacks architect Osama Bin Laden.

The US has yet to involve the Afghan government in negotiations with the Taliban. Some fear that Afghan authorities could be left without a rigorous peace accord in place if Washington pulls out troops.

Read more: US pledges 'no unilateral troop reduction' in Afghanistan

Every evening, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Fragile security Repeated attacks in Afghanistan in 2018 and 2019 have killed and wounded hundreds of innocent Afghans, and shown the world the fragile and worsening state of security in the conflict-stricken country. The incidents have plunged war-weary Afghan citizens into a state of despair and highlighted the limitations faced by the government in Kabul in ensuring public security.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan A long series of attacks The violent incidents have made Afghanistan once again a staple of international headlines. Outfits like the Taliban and the "Islamic State" (IS) have claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Afghan government is under heavy pressure to restore security and take back territory controlled by a number of insurgent groups, including the Taliban and IS.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Spring offensive In 2018, the Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive, dismissing an offer of peace talks by President Ashraf Ghani. The militants, fighting to restore their version of strict Islamic law to Afghanistan, said their campaign was a response to a more aggressive US military strategy adopted in 2017, which aims to force the militants into peace talks.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Trump's Afghanistan policy US President Donald Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan in 2017, vowing to deploy more troops to train and advise Afghan security forces. Trump also pledged to support Afghan troops in their war against the Taliban and maintain US presence in the country for as long as there was a need for it. In 2019, he reversed course and promised a troop pullout.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Afghan peace process Despite President Ghani's offer in February 2018 for peace talks "without preconditions," the Taliban had until 2019 shown no interest, dismissing the peace overtures as a "conspiracy."

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Pakistani support Pakistan has been under pressure from Kabul and Washington to stop offering safe havens to militants blamed for attacks in Afghanistan, a charge Islamabad denies and insists that its influence over the insurgents has been exaggerated. Kabul and Islamabad regularly trade accusations of harboring the other country's militants and the harsh language has underscored the strains between them.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Role of the warlords Apart from the Taliban, Afghan warlords exercise massive influence in the country. Last year, Hizb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar returned to Kabul after a 20-year exile to play an active role in Afghan politics. In September 2016, the Afghan government signed a deal with Hekmatyar in the hope that other warlords and militant groups would seek better ties with Kabul.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan An inefficient government In the midst of an endless battle for power, President Ghani's approval ratings continue to plummet. Rampant corruption in the Afghan government and a long tug-of-war within the US-brokered national unity government has had a negative impact on the government's efforts to eradicate terrorism. Author: Shamil Shams



ls/ng (AFP, dpa)