US and Pakistani leaders agree they cannot afford to let security ties unravel, the top US military officer said on Tuesday, even as he acknowledged persistent strains including Pakistani links to insurgents staging attacks in Afghanistan.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the comments before a trip to Islamabad as he visited US bases in Afghanistan that are grappling with violence by insurgents coming over the border from Pakistan.
"We're working our way through the relationships that the ISI has with the Haqqani network and the strain that that creates," Mullen said, even as he cited battlefield gains reducing the group's mobility. "I'll see General Kayani here shortly and these are issues I address with him every single time we engage. And I certainly intend to (raise that) this week." Mullen acknowledged that "we've had a very turbulent time," but added that despite the tensions, all sides acknowledged the relationship was vital.
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