WASHINGTON, Oct 14: A journalist claimed on Saturday that the US military had Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar in its sights on the first night of its bombing raids on Afghanistan but failed to kill him.

Seymour Hersh, writing in the New Yorker magazine, cites intelligence and military sources on the incident which reportedly had Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld “kicking a lot of glass and breaking doors”.

US officials have said that two adult members of Mullah Omar’s family were killed on the first night of the raids on Oct 7.

Hersh said the precise sequence of events was unclear, but that a US reconnaissance aircraft had identified a convoy carrying Mullah Omar on Sunday night. However, under rules of engagement at the time, the CIA could not order the plane to fire its anti-tank missiles.

Instead a building housing the Taliban spiritual leader was targeted by F-18 jets — after Mullah Omar had left.

Hersh said reaction in Washington to the missed opportunity was fierce. One unnamed military official said Rumsfeld “was kicking a lot of glass and breaking doors”, and intelligence officials were said to be “crestfallen”. —Reuters