Reports last Wednesday that reclusive Taliban leader Mullah Omar had died will be rightly hailed by some as the demise of an American nemesis. But the death of the Afghan commander may also scuttle the most promising peace talks in Afghanistan in a decade.

Omar's direct role in day-to-day Taliban operations had been declining for years, according to Western diplomats in Afghanistan. But the myth that surrounds him is a key element in determining whether peace talks can succeed. With Islamic State and other jihadist groups vying for the loyalty of Taliban fighters, it is unclear whether any leader except Omar can hold the movement together and then get its members to accept a peace settlement.

After decades of using Afghanistan as a battleground for proxy war, the major powers that exacerbated the country's internal divisions are finally on the same page. Two weeks ago, as Chinese and U.S. diplomats stood by, Pakistani officials convened the first direct peace talks between senior Afghan and Taliban officials in a decade. A second round of negotiations scheduled to take place last Friday has been postponed.