Mullah Muhammad Omar, leader of the Taliban regime of Afghanistan and one of the United States government's most wanted men. How does a man born in one of the poorest provinces become one of the most wanted men in the world? The US State Department is offering a reward of up to ten million dollars for the capture of Mullah Omar. Omar is considered a mysterious man, highly respected, feared and stubborn among his people. Omar is said to have ties to al-Qaeda, a known terrorist group responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Omar is also suspected in a series of attacks over the years, although his whereabouts are unknown. Mullah Omar was born in Oruzugan Province, Afghanistan in 1962. Omar studied in Islamic schools where he became devoted to Islam. While studying Islam, Omar became a “mullah,” or someone who shows pure devotion and understanding of the Islamic religion. Omar is described as being over six feet tall, with a thick black beard, a turban and one eye. Omar lost his right eye when he was wounded by shrapnel fighting against the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979. Omar was in school when the Soviet Union invaded. Omar left school to start his own jihad against the Soviets in the 1980s. Many Afghan citizens have fled to Pakistan seeking refuge from the war. With help sent from the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom (UK), France, Israel and Pakistan, the Afghan people managed to defeat the Soviet Fortieth Army. When the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, the country was in chaos. Afghanistan did not have a stable government, which led to a civil war between tribal leaders. The civil war caused further destruction to major cities such as Kabul, then to...... middle of paper ......ns. November 10, 2010. Web. March 17, 2011. http://www.cfr.org/religion/islam-governing-under-sharia/p8034"Rewards for Justice Mullah Omar." Awards for Justice. Network. March 17, 2011. http://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/index.cfm?page=MullahOmarRiedel, Bruce O. "Chapter 4 The Guest: Mullah Omar." The search for Al Qaeda: Its leadership, ideology and future. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, 2008. 62-84."September 11 News.com." September 11 News.com. 2001-2009. Network. March 17, 2011. http://www.september11news.com/AttackImages.htmTeslik, Lee Hudson. "Profile: Ayman Al-Zawahiri." Council on Foreign Relations. 2 February 2006. Web. 16 March 2011. http://www.cfr.org/terrorist-leaders/profile-ayman-al-zawahiri/p9750"What is the difference between Shia and Sunni Muslims?" About.com. Network. March 16, 2011. http://islam.about.com/cs/divisions/f/shia_sunni.htm