CENTCOM Boss Meets with New Pakistan Ambassador

Posted Feb 2, 2012 by Howard Altman

Updated Feb 2, 2012 at 08:30 AM

A day after the BBC reported that Pakistan is supporting the Taliban, that nation’s new ambassador to the U.S. met with U.S. Central Command chief Marine Gen. James Mattis.

According to the International Herald Tribune: In a press release issued by the Embassy of Pakistan, Ambassador Rehman “stressed the need for both countries to work together to build a relationship that is equitable, transparent and predictable.”

The press release adds that the Centcom Commander “acknowledged Pakistan’s contribution, especially the close cooperation of Pakistani military with Nato/ISAF forces in Afghanistan.”

Whether there will be any real thaw in relations with what should be a key ally in the region remains to be seen.

Between the killing of Osama bin Laden – in Pakistan – a November cross-border incident in which NATO aircraft killed two dozen Pakistani troops in an incident in which mutual mistrust contributed to the deaths, according to a Centcom report, and the BBC report about Pakistani support of the Taliban, relations have been rocky at best between the U.S. and the world’s only operational Islamic nuclear-armed nation.