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NATO readies takeover

Clashes continue in Afghanistan, leaving two U.S. soldiers and at least one NATO soldier dead.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published October 4, 2006

KABUL, Afghanistan - Gunbattles in Afghanistan left two U.S. troops and at least one NATO soldier dead, officials said Tuesday, as the Western alliance prepared to assume military command over the country from the U.S.-led coalition.

One NATO soldier was killed and another was presumed dead when insurgents attacked a patrol in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, a statement by the alliance said.

Eight soldiers were wounded in the clash after the patrol came under mortar and small-arms fire in Zhari district, the statement said. NATO did not release details and calls seeking comment went unanswered. The nationalities of the soldiers were not disclosed.

The Canadian Press reported that two Canadian soldiers were killed and five were wounded while providing security for road construction just west of Kandahar city, but it was not immediately clear if the attack was the one confirmed by NATO.

The two American soldiers were killed during a gunfight with militants Monday in eastern Kunar province, which borders Pakistan, the U.S. military said. Three U.S. soldiers were wounded and one Afghan soldier was killed in the battle in Pech district, it said.

About 7,000 Afghan and U.S. troops are operating in eastern Afghanistan as part of Operation Mountain Fury, aimed at wiping out militants and extending the Afghan government's reach.

Elsewhere, a suicide bomber on a motorbike attacked a Canadian military convoy in the city of Kandahar, but no troops were injured, said Maj. Daryl Morrell, a spokesman for the NATO-led force.

Three border police were killed and three wounded late Monday after Taliban fighters attacked their outpost in the eastern province of Paktika, said provincial Gov. Mohammad Akram Akhpelwak.

NATO-led troops, meanwhile, will take over command of military operations for all of Afghanistan from the U.S.-led coalition on Thursday, said Daan Everts, the alliance's senior civilian representative in Afghanistan.

The takeover is seen as a significant step in an already historic expansion of missions for the largely European alliance that was created as a Cold War bulwark against the Soviet Union.

Of the 40,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, about 8,000 U.S. troops tracking al-Qaida terrorists or involved in air operations will remain outside NATO's control, officials said.

NATO's twin roles of combating the growing violence and trying to extend the reach of the Afghan government are among the most challenging missions the alliance has undertaken in its 57-year history.

Afghanistan in recent months has seen the largest increase in violence since the U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban regime in 2001. The United States went to war in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to defeat the Taliban for its role with al-Qaida.

On Tuesday, Democrats accused Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of waving a white flag of surrender for saying the Afghan war against Taliban guerrillas can never be won militarily and favoring bringing "people who call themselves Taliban" into the government.

Frist, who was traveling in Afghanistan, said Monday that Taliban fighters were too numerous and too popular to be defeated. "You need to bring them into a more transparent type of government," he said. "And if that's accomplished, we'll be successful."

The comments from the Tennessee Republican, a potential 2008 presidential candidate, come as President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have accused Democrats of being weak on national security and adhering to a policy of retreat.

Amy Call, a spokeswoman for the senator, on Tuesday sought to clarify Frist's comments. "While touring Afghanistan, Senator Frist made the observation that Afghan tribesman should be brought into the government or risk losing them to the Taliban," she said in a statement. "Giving the native tribes, often targeted by Taliban recruitment, a voice in the government will promote peace and prosperity in the region. Sen. Frist does not believe Taliban fighters - often foreign fighters who come to Afghanistan to further conflict - should be brought into the reconciliation process."

[Last modified October 4, 2006, 00:56:46]