Time for calm cooperation in Pakistan: Mullen

[Naveed Yaseen]

WASHINGTON (updated on: September 27, 2008, 00:52 PST): Chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff Admiral Michael Mullen on Friday sought to ease tensions with Pakistan after an incident on the Afghan-Pakistan border, urging calm cooperation.

"Now more than ever is a time for teamwork, for calm," Mullen said, adding he had received reassurances from Pakistani military leaders that they had no intention of firing on US forces.

"It's time to recognise that we all, Pakistan, Afghan, American, and others in the region share a stake in the safe and secure Pakistan," he added.

Mullen said: "Despite the violence of the last few days, ... I remain convinced that Pakistan's military leaders understand the nature of the threat and are working hard to eliminate it."

On Friday Mullen stressed: "These things take time. We've learned ourselves you don't take an army that was built to fight a conventional war and turn it into an effective counterinsurgency force overnight.

"And you don't defeat extremists or their ideologies solely with military power."

He added: "Quite frankly, I believe some of the best solutions we may find are those not tied to military power, but rather to economic aid and assistance and other whole-of-government approaches."