Afghan Taliban Names New Chief

Newspapers hang for sale at a stand carrying headlines about the former leader of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike last week, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 25, 2016. The Afghan Taliban has confirmed that its former leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a U.S. drone strike last week and appointed a successor. In a statement sent to media Wednesday, May 25, 2016, the insurgent group said its new leader is Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, one of two Mansour’s deputies.
Newspapers hang for sale at a stand carrying headlines about the former leader of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike last week, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 25, 2016. The Afghan Taliban has confirmed that its former leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a U.S. drone strike last week and appointed a successor. In a statement sent to media Wednesday, May 25, 2016, the insurgent group said its new leader is Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, one of two Mansour's deputies. AP Photo/Rahmat Gul / AP Photo/Rahmat Gul
Newspapers hang for sale at a stand carrying headlines about the former leader of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike last week, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 25, 2016. The Afghan Taliban has confirmed that its former leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a U.S. drone strike last week and appointed a successor. In a statement sent to media Wednesday, May 25, 2016, the insurgent group said its new leader is Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, one of two Mansour’s deputies.
Newspapers hang for sale at a stand carrying headlines about the former leader of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike last week, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 25, 2016. The Afghan Taliban has confirmed that its former leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a U.S. drone strike last week and appointed a successor. In a statement sent to media Wednesday, May 25, 2016, the insurgent group said its new leader is Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, one of two Mansour's deputies. AP Photo/Rahmat Gul / AP Photo/Rahmat Gul

Afghan Taliban Names New Chief

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(Audio available after show airs.)

The Afghan Taliban has named Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada as its new leader. He takes the place of Mullah Akhtar Mohammed Mansour, who was recently killed by a U.S. drone strike.  

Akhundzada has declared that, unlike his predecessor, he will not pursue peace talks with the Afghan government and that ‘terror on enemies’ will continue. 

We talk about the new Taliban chief and the regional ramifications with Vali Nasr, dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).