MULLAH OMAR

AGE: 47
OCCUPATION: Leader of the Taliban
NUMBER OF TIME COVERS: 0
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 0

PRO: The one-eyed former Afghanistan head of state and spiritual leader of a resurgent Taliban has an almost mythic status among the rank and file. He helps to inspire the fanaticism that makes the Taliban such an intractable force.

CON: His influence right now probably derives primarily from his reputation and symbolic significance. And he's living — if indeed he is alive — in hiding, most likely in Pakistan.