Omar was
born in Mewand, Afghanistan in 1962 and received his
education through religious seminaries. He was involved
in the fight against the Soviets and his relationship
with Osama Bin Laden was developed during this time.
After the Soviet withdrawal of Soviet forces from
Afghanistan in 1989, the resulting anarchy provoked him
to lead a resistance against local warlords in Kandahar
in 1994. This led to formation of Taliban movement, the
subsequent capture of Afghanistan and him being
designated as Amir ul-Momineen (Commander of the
Faithful). It is believed that Mullah Omar had family
ties with Bin Laden, as the former had married the
daughter of the latter. After 9/11 he defended Bin Laden
and refused his handover to the US, leading to the
invasion in late 2001. Omar went into hiding after the
invasion and has been little heard of since then.
