Jones heads to Islamabad for AFPAK review

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. national security adviser James Jones is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Thursday to discuss the so-called AFPAK strategy with national leaders.

Jones was scheduled to meet with top government and military leaders in Islamabad to discuss the war strategy, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reports.

U.S. President Barack Obama earlier this year linked the war effort in Afghanistan to stability in neighboring Pakistan.

The leadership of al-Qaida and the Taliban are said to have established strongholds in the volatile tribal provinces along the Pakistani border with Afghanistan.

U.S. and Pakistani relations have strengthened since the military focus shifted from Iraq to Afghanistan. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton traveled to the region recently to discuss policy issues in the wake of a measure passed by lawmakers to boost military and non-military aid to Pakistan.

The Dawn report suggests Jones could discuss a possible exit strategy with Pakistani military leaders as U.S. and international forces debate their options for Afghanistan.

Obama ordered an overhaul of his military strategy as officials worry about supporting a government in Afghanistan plagued with corruption.