WASHINGTON (May 23, 2016) —
President Barack Obama Monday confirmed the death of Taliban leader
Akhtar Mohammad Mansur, who was targeted May 21 by a U.S. airstrike
near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
The president, who’s in Vietnam meeting with senior Vietnamese government officials, issued a statement about the deceased Taliban chieftain.
“Today marks an important milestone in our longstanding effort to bring
peace and prosperity to Afghanistan,” Obama said. “With the death of
Taliban leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansur, we have removed the leader of an
organization that has continued to plot against and unleash attacks on
American and coalition forces, to wage war against the Afghan people,
and align itself with extremist groups like al-Qaida.”
Obama said Mansur “rejected efforts by the Afghan government to
seriously engage in peace talks and end the violence that has taken the
lives of countless innocent Afghan men, women and children.” The
Taliban, the president said, “should seize the opportunity to pursue the
only real path for ending this long conflict -- joining the Afghan
government in a reconciliation process that leads to lasting peace and
stability.”
An Enduring Partner of Afghanistan
“As an enduring partner of the Afghan people,” Obama said, “the
United States will continue to help strengthen Afghan security forces
and support President [Ashraf] Ghani and the national unity government
in their efforts to forge the peace and progress that Afghans deserve.
“We will continue taking action against extremist networks that
target the United States,” he continued. “We will work on shared
objectives with Pakistan, where terrorists that threaten all our nations
must be denied safe haven. After so many years of conflict, today gives
the people of Afghanistan and the region a chance at a different,
better future.”
The president also expressed his gratitude to those involved in
planning and carrying out the operation and to all Americans who have
contributed to U.S. efforts in Afghanistan.
“I thank our dedicated military and intelligence personnel who
have once again sent a clear message to all those who target our people
and our partners -- you will have no safe haven,” he said. “Today is a
day for us to give thanks to all of the Americans who have served in
Afghanistan for so many years with a selfless commitment to the security
of our nation and a better future for the Afghan people.”
Defense Secretary Ash Carter also issued a statement today about the Taliban leader’s demise.
A Commitment to Address Threats
“Protecting American forces wherever they are in the world will
always be one of my top priorities as Secretary of Defense,” Carter
said. “The confirmation that our precision airstrike Saturday killed
Taliban leader Mullah Mansur makes clear my commitment to address
threats to our troops, NATO forces, Afghan military personnel and the
innocent Afghan civilians who are working together so bravely to improve
security in that country. Removing Mansur from the battlefield
eliminates one roadblock to peace in Afghanistan.”
Carter added, “I want to thank the U.S forces that carried out
this important operation, and reaffirm that we will continue to disrupt
networks and individuals that threaten the United States and our forces
abroad. The Department of Defense will also continue to support the
government of Afghanistan's effort to build a brighter and safer future
for the people of Afghanistan.”
Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis briefed reporters this
morning on Mansur’s death, characterizing the airstrike as deliberate
and defensive.
“[Mansur] was specifically targeting U.S. coalition personnel
and [had been] engaged in operations in which personnel were killed,” he
said.
Davis emphasized that military authorizations permitted actions
against enemies who aim to harm the United States and its allies, and
he told reporters that the U.S.-led collation was in communication with
Afghan and Pakistani defense officials prior to the airstrike.
“The United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan share common aims
of taking out senior terrorist leaders when and where we see them,” he
said. Mansur was “a specific, imminent threat to U.S. and coalition
personnel,” and was “set on attacking Afghanistan, U.S. and coalition
forces,” Davis noted.