Pakistani, U.S. generals discuss chill

• Tweet

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- A senior U.S. general met with his Pakistani counterpart in Islamabad Saturday to discuss growing animosity in joint military counter-terrorism efforts.

Gen. James Mattis, chief of the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla., met with Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Dawn News reported.

Cooperation and trust between the two allies have been degrading for more than a year with regard to the battle against al-Qaida and Taliban militants along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

This week, U.S. Gen. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, alleged Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence agency was covertly aiding insurgents in Afghanistan.

Kayani said Friday the claim was "very unfortunate and not based on facts" and called it a "blame game" that was counterproductive to the joint mission, Dawn said.

For its part, Pakistan has repeatedly objected to the use of unmanned aircraft to launch missile attacks along the border as innocent civilians were being killed. Pakistan also objected it had not been advised of the U.S. Navy Seals attack on the home of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad on May 2 that resulted in bin Laden's death.

At the time, U.S. officials publicly questioned how Pakistani intelligence hadn't known about the bin Laden compound.