Richard C. Holbrooke, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during talks on Thursday with officials of those nations. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesFrom New York Times:
WASHINGTON — Intensifying its focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan, the United States said Thursday that it would hold regular three-way meetings with top officials from the neighboring countries, which the Obama administration sees as the main front of the battle against Islamic extremism.
The plan was announced by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton after three days of meetings with high-level delegations from Afghanistan and Pakistan, which touched on sensitive issues like American airstrikes in Pakistan, and the scope of the American commitment in Afghanistan.
Officials from both Pakistan and Afghanistan expressed concern about civilian casualties from American military operations, according to people who took part in the talks. Pakistan’s foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, objected to airstrikes by Predator drones in tribal areas, part of a covert campaign against militants by the Central Intelligence Agency.
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My Comment: Everyone is positioning themselves ..... but the strategy to fight and defeat the Taliban is not known yet.