Frist Says Taliban can't be defeated

Chicago Tribune
October 3, 2006

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Monday that the Afghan war against Taliban guerrillas can never be won militarily and called for efforts to bring the Islamic militia and its supporters into the Afghan government. The Tennessee Republican said he learned from briefings that Taliban fighters are too numerous and have too much popular support to be defeated on the battlefield.

'You need to bring them into a more transparent type of government,' Frist said during a brief visit to a U.S. and Romanian military base in the southern Taliban stronghold of Qalat. 'And if that's accomplished, we'll be successful.'

Afghanistan is suffering its heaviest insurgent attacks since a U.S.-led military force toppled the Taliban in late 2001 for harboring Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. According to an Associated Press count, based on reports from U.S., NATO and Afghan officials, at least 2,800 people have been killed nationwide so far this year. The count, which includes militants and civilians, is about 1,300 more than the toll for all of 2005.

Frist said asking the Taliban to join the government is a decision to be made by Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Karzai's spokesmen were not able to be reached for comment.

"A political solution is how it's all going to be solved," he said.