Mullen, Kayani secretly meet; discuss infiltration by Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington, Aug 29 (PTI) America's top army commander
met his Pakistani counterpart secretly on board a US aircraft
carrier in the Indian Ocean and discussed efforts to slow the
infiltration of militants from Pakistan.

The leading actors in the day-long conference were
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and
Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani.

After the meeting, Mullen said there is a recognition
in Pakistan that the political process is "pretty" challenging
but for the U.S. the current issue on hand is dealing with the
insurgency and the FATA, Pakistan's tribal araes.

"... it continues to be an extraordinarily complex
problem. We need to continue to press on it. There are areas
-- there are areas that we can do better. There are areas that
the Pakistan military can do better. We understand that. It's
an area I think we can all improve on, but it isn't -- it is
not going to be something that gets solved overnight," Admiral
Mullen said in a press briefing at the Pentagon.

Without going into specific details of the discussion,
he said there's a recognition in Pakistan that the political
process is pretty challenging. "There is a significant amount
of political churn in Pakistan that he's (General Kiyani) very
much aware of," Admiral Mullen said in response to a query on
how the Pakistani military is being impacted by the political;
goings on.

"... as I've come to know him, he's been very clear to
me, and not just in saying it, but what his actions are, that
his goal -- my view -- is to do the right thing. He's an
extraordinary individual, and his ultimate -- his goals are --
his principles and goals are to do what's best for Pakistan.
And everything he's done, our engagement, indicates that's
absolutely the case" he added.

"... he (Kayani) knows his country a whole lot better
than we do.... They're an important ally in that part of the
world, and a very, very critical and increasingly unstable
part of the world," Admiral Mullen said.

The meeting aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, a US Navy
aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean, was also attended by Gen
David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq.

Also there were Adm Eric T Olson, head of the Special
Operations Command, and Lt Gen Martin E Dempsey, acting
commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East. Gen David
McKiernan, NATO's commander in Afghanistan, and Rear Adm
Michael LeFever, American military liaison in Pakistan,
attended as well.

"I think we need to move ahead. President Musharraf
made a decision. He's -- he's moved on. I think we all need to
move on and look to a future that is -- that's one we both
understand and have a -- you know continue to have a strong
relationship," he said when asked if Musharraf's departure
helped or hurt American interests in the area.

"I'm not prepared to discuss in great detail the
specifics of everything that we covered. But I can tell you I
came away from the meeting very encouraged that the focus is
where it needs to be at the military to military
relationship," he said.

"For me, this was a chance to better understand a
very complex challenge in a critical part of the world and to
try to do that through the eyes of the leadership, who live
and work and fight there every single day," he added.

"... he's chief of staff of the army who's got a
challenge of a conventional threat from India, which he still
recognises, as well as a requirement to get at this
counterinsurgency. And so he's moving in that direction. I am
pleased that he is moving in that direction and that he is
actually operating" Admiral Mullen said.