Mullen: Taliban-Pakistan Link "Growing"

(CBS/AP)  Updated at 7:43 a.m. Eastern.

America's top military officer is expressing concern about the "growing level of collusion" between Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan and al Qaeda and other militants across the border in Pakistan.

Adm. Mike Mullen told reporters Monday that he will discuss the issue with Pakistani authorities during talks in Islamabad later this week. Mullen made the comments after arriving in Kabul to discuss the upcoming U.S. troop surge.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Afghanistan

Painting a grim picture, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says Afghan insurgents are dominant in a third of Afghanistan's provinces and he is "deeply concerned about the growing level of collusion" between Afghan militants and extremists "taking refuge across the border in Pakistan."

The Pentagon's top military officer was visiting Afghanistan just as the first of the 30,000 U.S. reinforcements ordered by President Obama are starting to deploy to the 8-year-old war.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman said last week that 16,000 troops have received their orders for Afghanistan since President Obama announced his new war strategy. The first to be deployed - a battalion of Marines - are to arrive in southern Afghanistan this week. Tens of thousands of tons of construction materials, winter gear and other equipment also are in the pipeline.

President Obama told "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Kroft in an interview broadcast Sunday evening that the decision to send 30,000 more young Americans into harm's way in Afghanistan was "absolutely" the most difficult decision of his presidency to date.

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He acknowledged the waning support for the ongoing war effort in the American public, and even among his fellow Democrats, but told Kroft, he believed it was, "the right thing to do. And that's my job. If I was worried about what polled well, there are a whole bunch of things we wouldn't have done this year."

Mullen is one of a host of top military officials and world leaders to visit the country following the announcement of the new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan, which includes a plan to begin pulling troops out in July 2011. All the visitors have sought to reassure Afghan officials that international forces would not abandon the nation in 18 months.

In a visit to the war zone last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Afghanistan's senior military officials that while the U.S. looks forward to the day when the Afghans can take control of their country, the United States would have a large number of forces in Afghanistan for some time beyond July 2011. "This is a relationship forged in blood," he said. "We will see it to the end."

Col. Wayne Shanks, a spokesman for the international force, said U.S. troops will begin arriving over the next week or so.

"By the middle of summer, you should see most of the forces that have been pledged arrive here in Afghanistan," Shanks told a joint NATO-Afghan press conference shortly after Mullen arrived.

Shanks said the fresh troops would be sent mainly to the south, but would not disclose exact locations.

Obama ordered the troop surge to try to curb the burgeoning Taliban insurgency as the bloodiest year of the Afghan war draws to a close.

Underscoring the security crisis, Afghanistan's Ministry of Interior announced that 16 Afghan National Police were killed Monday in two separate attacks - one in northern Baghlan province and the other in the southern city of Lashkar Gah.

[afmcalax]

This is yet another war where America is playing by one set of rules while our enemies play by another. Who ever heard of condoning an official sanctuary for your enemies during a war. I would ignore the Pakistanis and send our troops and heavy bombers where the enemy is ... Pakistan's western regions. Pakistan has shown little ability to control that area so American and NATO forces should. If the tribal leaders in Pakistan want to give sanctuary to the Taliban and alQaeda then let them and their people suffer the consequences. This war will be won in Pakistan; not in Afghanistan.

[Ipsi_Dixit]

First, ask yourself whether the initial invasion of Afghanistan was legal and proper. If you're being honest with yourself the answer should be a resounding NO.

Then ask yourself whether the invasion of Pakistan, Afghanistans' neighbour, is legal and proper. Again, the answer should be a resounding NO.

It is because the USA is fighting in Afghanistan and driving the Afghan resistance over the border into Pakistan that the Afghan guarrillas are there. And make no mistake about it - Taliban, Al-Quaida or simple Pashtun peasants - whatever you want to call them, they are authentic resistance fighters fighting an illegal war of aggression against their homeland by a foreign power - perfectly legal under international law and exactly what you would be doing if the positions were reversed.

It is the United States of America that is the aggressor here, NOT the Taliban.

[forcealpha]

I fully agree with @ipsi_Dixit
(My post just describe fact lines. No abuses. If I shattered anyone's feeling, then I am sorry for that.)

You know, All I know is you (Americans) made great many mistakes and good people (US Marines and their families) paid the ultimate price for them. And that's a debt you can't ever repay.You know sometimes the very measures you (Americans) put into place to safeguard your liberty becomes threats to liberty itself.
US attacked Pakistan in the name of TALIBANS and you know who were the targets, nobody but innocent Pakistanis who helped US in every field, in every battle! And now US started blaming Pakistan and media is vomiting baseless propaganda against Pakistan. Don't you saw the footage of those drone attacks in Pakistan?
And now, another knowned terrorist company Blackwater, started its terrorist activities inside Pakistan, after afganistan, Iraq, middle East, etc. Now please don't tell me that you don't know Blackwater or its reputation! Why can't you see that? These are all against US constitution and UN laws if you regard them.
Pakistan is independant country. Why don't you tell Pakistan officials about targets so that Pakistan could operate by themselves? why don't you assist Pakistanis in these operations? this is not fair that without informing Pakistani forces, US attack with drones, in which most of the attacks were vague! After all, Pakistanis were the only one who faught for US in Afganistan against Russia. We have all the ability to fight. and your previous presidents admit this.
Everyone knows that Talibans were seeded by US to fight against Russia, trained by US and equipped with weapons by US. So if you are American, then please try to focus on Politics. This is not the solution that every time anyone told you about facts, you say, "**** Politics." This is not a solution. The solution is to find out the root causes. Americans are responsible people, but they should act like responsible nation. Not just watch the TV, heard the Politicians, and start believing all this. Knowledge is power, But you have to proof it before Lord that He bestowed Knowledge to right man.

Long live Pakistan, Long live America.