WASHINGTON: The United States knows that the leader of Pakistan's Taliban is dead because he has not appeared in public to prove that he is alive, the top U.S. envoy to the region told US Television.

Richard Holbrooke said that the Pakistani Taliban have not confirmed the death of Baitullah Mehsud because of an ongoing power struggle over his successor.

"The reason it's clear he's dead is that if he weren't dead, he'd be giving TV and radio interviews to prove he's not dead," Holbrooke told US tv. LINK