Michael Hughes

Michael Hughes: There is little reason to believe that the U.S. removed an obstacle to peace talks in Afghanistan by killing Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour because his replacement is even more radical and committed to waging a “holy war” against Kabul. The Taliban’s newly-appointed emir, Haibatullah Akhundzada, may not have the military expertise but is a religious ideologue who is much more twisted than Mansour when it comes to Islamic extremism, evidenced by the fact that, according to the Afghanistan Analysts Network, his son is a “registered” suicide bomber currently being prepared for martyrdom in a “suicide bombing training camp.” Click here to read more.