Top U.S. Marine Seeks Assurance From Pakistan

Cami McCormick is a CBS News radio correspondent, who is traveling with U.S. Gen. James Conway.

(CBS/Cami McCormick)

The top U.S. Marine commander, Gen. James Conway, traveled to Pakistan Monday for talks with that country's army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani. With thousands of additional American troops heading to Afghanistan, possibly including thousands of Marines, Conway said he wanted to express to Kiyana "concern that we can do a lot in Afghanistan, but unless the problem in Pakistan gets solved, it's not over."

"There needs to be a parallel effort on both sides of the border to eradicate the threat," Conway said. He was assured that Pakistan has "high quality" soldiers stationed along the boundary.

Conway also believes al Qaeda is now focusing on Pakistan and said he was assured by Kiyani that Pakistan understands the threat.

The two also discussed the supply routes from Pakistan to Afghanistan, which the U.S. military relies on heavily and which have been attacked repeatedly. With additional American forces coming in, supply routes will become even more crucial in this land-locked country.

Meanwhile, CBS News' Farhan Bokhari reports that the U.S. is urging Pakistan to take firmer action against militant groups implicated in last month's Mumbai attacks.

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