NATO to take over in Afghanistan on Thursday

KABUL, Oct 3 (Reuters) NATO will assume responsibility for security across the whole of Afghanistan from Thursday when it takes command in the east from US-led coalition forces, a senior NATO official said today.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) already commands forces in the north, west and south, as well as in the capital, Kabul.

On Thursday it takes command of 10,000-12,000 US troops in the east.

''In two days, on October 5, NATO security assistance will be expanded to all of Afghanistan and most of the US forces that are still operating on their own command right now in the east will join the overall ISAF organisation,'' NATO's senior civilian representative, Daan Everts, told a news conference.

The US troop transfer had been expected later in the year, but alliance officials said battles with resurgent guerrillas in the south showed the urgent need to pool British, Dutch and Canadian troops under NATO with the US forces.

Bringing the whole country under one command will also improve efficiency, alliance officials say.

With the inclusion of the US troops in the east, the NATO force in Afghanistan will number between 32,000 and 33,000, a NATO official said.

Underlining the dangers facing NATO in the east, two US soldiers and an Afghan soldier were killed and three American soldiers were wounded in a clash there yesterday.

The Afghan mission is the alliance's biggest ground operation in its history.

About 8,000 US troops will remain in Afghanistan, focusing on counter-terrorist operations, while the NATO force hopes to concentrate on providing security so development can get going.

''SPECTACULAR SUGGESTION'' Violence has surged in the Afghan east and south this year to its most intense since US-led forces ousted the hardline Taliban five years ago, weeks after the September 11 attacks.

NATO forces who took over from the US-led coalition in the south in July have been fighting fierce battles with the Taliban.

NATO spokesmen say the insurgents have been testing the alliance's will and ability and NATO has passed the test.

Everts said the insurgency could not be won by military means alone.

He praised an Afghan-Pakistani agreement to hold tribal assemblies, known as jirgas, on both sides of their border in the hope of winning the help of ethnic Pashtun tribes in areas where Taliban and allied militants operate.

Afghan complaints of support and recruits for the Taliban flowing in from Pakistan have soured relations between the neighbours.

Asked about trying to bring the Taliban into the political mainstream, Everts said: ''That is a spectacular suggestion.'' ''Of course, of course, of course, we have to pursue reconciliation and non-military ways of accommodating Taliban and putting an end to a very misguided insurgency.'' ''Taliban is not monolithic. There are leaders, there are cadres and there are a large number of followers who probably are not even quite aware of what they are being mobilised for.'' About 140 foreign troops have been killed in Afghanistan this year, raising opposition to Afghan involvement among the public and opposition parties in some NATO members.

But the Taliban have suffered much heavier losses -- about 2,500 killed this year, according to foreign forces and government figures. The Taliban dismiss those figures but analysts say their losses have been high.

REUTERS LL DS1623