it means that he has effectively been in charge. but there s also been a complicit, if you will among a tiny call of leadership within the taliban to essentially ignore the facts that omar was no longer answering questions, was no longer giving directions and it try to sort of create the impression not just for the outside world but for the rest of the taliban that they still add leader who was so well respected he was a very if you will a figure who could bring together desperate elements within a taliban across the whole of afghanistan and pakistan as well. so there was in essence a complicit among that lead areship, not to rock the boat. it was based on the fact that they all thought they were heading in the same direction that they agreed on where the organization was going and that if no one asked that tough question where is omar why don t we have any answers from him, why are we not hearing from him, why don t we see him, then
power who was elect add leader. that s what they will be dealing with. it really wasn t fruitful for them to ratchet up some of the rhetoric. we re hearing in the polls, american public not supporting this war concerned about why we re there, how long troops will be there and when they will be there back in the states. you ve got that balance as well while two governments trying to mend fences. for the american president, president obama, has to deal with the issue of what the american people think of this ongoing war in this country. right. i think that s why the comments were so troubling and why the white house reacted as they did. look, american soldiers fighting and dying. to have that commentary coming out of the afghan president s office obviously was troubling. i think that s why they responded to quickly, ultimately shifted course determining the better part of valor here is to work with the president in office and try to make the best