Re-establishing trust with Pakistan is critical : Mullen

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Re-establishing trust with Pakistan is critical : Mullen


WASHINGTON, March 11 (APP): Admiral Mike Mullen, top U.S. military officer, has said re-establishing a relationship of trust with Pakistan is critical and acknowledged the huge sacrifices rendered by the South Asian country in combating the terrorist threat. Trust is critical not only between U.S. and Pakistani militaries and intelligence agencies but also between the citizens of the two nations, Mullen, who is chairman U.S. Joint Chiefs Staff, said during a virtual town hall meeting. “ I have traveled to Pakistan over 20 times to work on establishing a relationship of trust with the Pakistani military,” Mullen said, according to Pentagon.

“We left them for 12 years—from the early 1990s to about 2002 -- and we are working on re-establishing that trust,” he said in response to a question about the key regional country’s cooperation in combating the terrorist threat.
The U.S. has been engaged for almost ten years now in the wake of 9/11 attacks in the fight against al-Qaeda-linked militants and Taliban in Afghanistan and along Pak- Afghan border.
In his comments, Mullen said he is always mindful of the thousands of service members that the Pakistani military have lost and the tens of thousands who have been wounded. They have sacrificed greatly to support their own citizens in Pakistan and they will continue to do that,” he said.
He also noted a much improved anti-terror cooperation between the two countries.

“They are working with us much better than they have in the past, but they do have significant internal terrorist challenges. We are working hard to come together in a much more integrated fashion to focus on the terrorist threat that affects both of us.”

Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - Re-establishing trust with Pakistan is critical : Mullen