(2007-1610-F) Mullah Omar

103 folders, approximately 7,048 pages

This collection consists of materials regarding Mullah Mohammad Omar, the founder and spiritual leader of the Taliban, and Osama bin Laden. Under Omar’s direction, the Taliban provided sanctuary to al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden despite demands by the United Nations Security Council that he be handed over for trial for his involvement in the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The collection includes news articles and press briefings regarding the Taliban’s refusal to turn over bin Laden and the resulting United Nations sanctions.

The materials in FOIA 2007-1610-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. Mullah Mohammad Omar was the founder and spiritual leader of the Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist group that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001. Under Omar’s direction, the Taliban provided sanctuary to al-Qaeda and its exiled Saudi Arabian leader Osama bin Laden. On October 15, 1999, the United Nations Security Council passed resolution 1267 which demanded that the Taliban turn bin Laden over to a country “where he will be arrested and effectively brought to justice” for his involvement in the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The resolution also condemned the Taliban for allowing bin Laden “to operate a network of terrorist training camps from Taliban-controlled territory and to use Afghanistan as a base from which to sponsor international terrorist operations”. Omar refused to meet the demands of the UN Security Council. He argued that there was a lack of evidence and that bin Laden was a guest in Afghanistan and that according to Islamic law he must be offered protection. Following the attacks of 9/11, the Taliban was removed from power by U.S. led forces and Omar was forced into hiding. His whereabouts remained unknown until the Afghanistan government announced his death on July 29, 2015. The following day, the Taliban confirmed that the Omar had died on April 23, 2013 from an illness. Records responsive to this FOIA include news articles and press briefings from the National Security Council’s Cable and Email System. Topics include the Taliban’s refusal to turn over Osama bin Laden and the resulting United Nations sanctions. Also included are articles on the August 1999 bombing of Mullah Omar’s home in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The majority of the records related to this FOIA case are closed for national security reasons.

Textual

Records that are responsive to this FOIA request were found in these collections areas— Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management Systems.

Collection is open to all researchers. Access to Clinton Presidential Records is governed by the Presidential Records Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. Chapter 22, as amended) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended) and therefore records may be restricted in whole or in part in accordance with legal exemptions.

Documents in this collection that were prepared by officials of the United States government as part of their official duties are in the public domain. Researchers are advised to consult the copyright law of the United States (17 U.S.C. Chapter 1) which governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.

Official records of William Jefferson Clinton’s presidency are housed at the Clinton Presidential Library and administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the provisions of the Presidential Records Act (PRA).

Staff Archivist, 2015. Previously restricted materials are added as they are released

The following is a list of documents and folders processed in response to FOIA 2007-1610-F:
Box 1
Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System
NSC Cables
Jan 1995-Dec 1996 [OA/ID 510000]
[Taliban and Omar and UBL]
[06/19/1996 – 10/30/1996]
[11/08/1996 – 12/31/1996]
Jan 1997-Dec 1998 [OA/ID 520000]
[Taliban and Omar and UBL]
[01/26/1997 – 03/28/1997]
[03/28/1997 – 05/16/1997]
[05/27/1997 – 10/14/1997]
[10/23/1997 – 01/15/1998]
[01/21/1998 – 04/01/1998]
[04/06/1998 – 05/15/1998]
[05/26/1998 – 07/28/1998]
[08/04/1998 – 08/22/1998]
Box 2
[08/22/1998 – 08/26/1998]
[08/26/1998 – 11/02/1998]
[11/03/1998 – 11/19/1998]
[11/19/1998 – 12/08/1998]
[12/09/1998 – 12/23/1998]
[12/24/1998 – 12/31/1998]
Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System (continued)
Jan 1999-Dec 2000 [OA/ID 530000]
[Taliban and Omar and UBL]
[01/04/1999 – 01/28/1999]
[01/29/1999 – 02/09/1999]
[02/10/1999 – 02/17/1999]
Box 3
[02/17/1999 – 02/23/1999]
[02/23/1999 – 03/03/1999]
[03/05/1999 – 03/17/1999]
[03/18/1999 – 04/20/1999]
[04/22/1999 – 07/02/1999]
[07/02/1999 – 07/13/1999]
[07/13/1999 – 07/22/1999]
[07/23/1999 – 08/10/1999]
Box 4
[08/11/1999 – 08/27/1999]
[08/27/1999 – 09/21/1997]
[09/23/1999 – 10/12/1999]
[10/13/1999 – 10/28/1999]
[11/01/1999 – 11/04/1999]
[11/04/1999 – 11/14/1999]
[11/15/1999 – 11/23/1999]
[11/24/1999 – 12/02/1999]
Box 5
[12/02/1999 – 12/20/1999]
[12/21/1999 – 01/12/2000]
[01/13/2000 – 01/31/2000]
[02/02/2000 – 02/23/2000]
[02/23/2000 – 03/13/2000]
[03/13/2000 – 03/29/2000]
[03/30/2000 – 04/06/2000]
[04/10/2000 – 04/19/2000]
Box 6
[04/19/2000 – 05/03/2000]
[05/03/2000 – 05/17/2000]
[05/19/2000 – 05/29/2000]
[05/29/2000 – 06/07/2000]
[06/08/2000 – 07/05/2000]
Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System (continued)
Jan 1999-Dec 2000 [OA/ID 530000]
[Taliban and Omar and UBL]
[07/05/2000 – 07/12/2000]
[07/13/2000 – 07/20/2000]
[07/21/2000 – 08/08/2000]
[08/09/2000 – 08/22/2000]
Box 7
[08/24/2000 – 09/11/2000]
[09/11/2000 – 09/26/2000]
[09/26/2000 – 10/12/2000]
[10/12/2000 – 10/24/2000]
[10/25/2000 – 11/01/2000]
[11/02/2000 – 11/09/2000]
[11/09/2000 – 12/06/2000]
[12/08/2000 – 12/18/2000]
[12/20/2000 – 12/29/2000]
Box 8
Jan 2001 [OA/ID 540000]
[Taliban and Omar and UBL]
[01/02/2001 – 01/09/2001]
[01/10/2001 – 01/19/2001]
NSC Email
Exchange-Record (Sept 97-Jan 01) [OA/ID 620000]
[Taliban and Omar and UBL]
[02/16/1998 – 09/02/1998]
[09/02/1998 – 10/01/1998]
[10/21/1998 – 12/23/1998]
[12/28/1998 – 02/08/1999]
[02/08/1999 – 05/03/1999]
[05/04/1999 – 07/13/1999]
[07/19/1999 – 08/25/1999]
Box 9
[08/25/1999 – 10/01/1999]
[10/01/1999 – 10/22/1999]
[10/23/1999 – 11/01/1999]
[11/02/1999]
[11/02/1999 – 11/03/1999]
[11/04/1999 – 11/16/1999]
[11/17/1999 – 11/30/1999]
[11/30/1999 – 12/04/1999]
[12/04/1999 – 12/14/1999]
Box 10
Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System (continued)
[12/20/1999 – 12/27/1999]
[12/27/1999 – 03/05/2000]
[03/05/2000 – 03/09/2000]
[03/10/2000 – 03/15/2000]
[03/16/2000 – 03/27/2000]
[03/27/2000 – 03/29/2000]
[03/29/2000 – 05/02/2000]
Box 11
[05/04/2000 – 05/30/2000]
[05/31/2000 – 06/29/2000]
[06/29/2000 – 07/11/2000]
[07/17/2000 – 09/22/2000]
[09/25/2000 – 10/03/2000]
[10/09/2000 – 10/30/2000]
[10/30/2000 – 11/25/2000]
[11/25/2000 – 12/23/2000]
Box 12
[12/27/2000 – 12/29/2000]
[12/29/2000 – 01/04/2001]
Exchange-Non-Record (Mar 97-Jan 01) [OA/ID 630000]
[Taliban and Omar and UBL]
[08/25/1998 – 05/04/1999]
[05/05/1999 – 07/19/1999]
[07/30/1999 – 10/29/1999]
[10/29/1999 – 12/04/1999]
[12/04/1999 – 02/01/2000]
[03/29/2000 – 10/05/2000]
[10/26/2000 – 01/04/2001]