Report: Haqqani Network Leader Has Been Dead in Afghanistan for a Year

Sources told the BBC that Afghani Jalaluddin Haqqani, who founded the terrorist Haqqani network syndicate, died at least a year ago after a long illness.

These sources also claim he was buried in Afghanistan. His militant group has not confirmed his death.

The Haqqani network has links to al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Haqqani fought against Soviet occupation in the 1980s. The CIA admitted “he was a prized asset” for the agency.

But he changed his allegiance when the Taliban took over in 1996, when he “served as a cabinet minister under the Taliban’s supreme leader, Mullah Omar.” He was accused of ethnic cleansing against the Tajik when he commanded the Taliban just north of Kabul. A month after September 11, the Taliban promoted him to top military commander. Officials believe he protected Osama bin Laden and even helped him escape into Pakistan.

His terrorist network fought against the United States and present-day Afghanistan government. They want to establish Sharia Law in Afghanistan and expel all Western ideals. The Institute for the Study of War found the network “maintains a safe haven” in southeastern Afghanistan along the border of Pakistan. They also state the Pakistani Army refuses “to launch a military operation” into the area. even though they know prime leadership of the Haqqani network and al-Qaeda reside there.

It is believed he had a relationship with Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The agency denied any relationship with Haqqani. However, in May, India claimed the Haqqani network attacked the Park Palace guesthouse in Kabul. They also said the network received the instructions from ISI. They pointed fingers at Haqqani and ISI when their embassy in Kabul was attacked in 2008. In September 2011, Admiral Mike Mullen told U.S. Senators “the Haqqani network is a veritable arm of the country’s intelligence services.” He insisted the network attacked the U.S. Embassy in Kabul with help from ISI.