Clinton hails 'breakthrough' with Afghanistan, Pakistan

WASHINGTON -- The leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan pledged to cooperate against terrorists threatening their countries during a "breakthrough meeting" at the White House on Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said.

"They have so much in common and they face this common threat, and they have to make common cause to reach this common objective," Clinton said at a White House news conference. Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari then met with President Obama and Vice President Biden.

Clinton, who last week criticized what she said was Pakistan's unwillingness to confront an advancing Taliban insurgency, offered a reappraisal in the wake of Pakistan's military operations in the Swat Valley.

"I'm actually quite impressed by the actions that the Pakistan government has undertaken," she said. "I think that action was called for, and action has been forthcoming."

Clinton also spoke briefly about a U.S. bombing strike Monday that the Afghans said killed dozens of innocent civilians. She said Washington "deeply, deeply" regrets the loss of life and that an investigation is underway.

At an earlier joint appearance at the State Department, Karzai and Zardari offered warm words for one another.

"Afghanistan, Pakistan and United States are all victims of terror, as is, indeed, the entire world," Zardari said. "Our threat is common, and our responsibilities should be shared.

"I am here to assure you that we shall share this burden with you all, for no matter how long it takes and what it takes, democracies will deliver."

He added, "We stand with our brother Karzai and the people of Afghanistan against this common threat, this menace which I have called cancer. This is a cancer. It needs to be done away with. Pakistan carries a huge burden confronting al-Qaeda and Taliban together, but we are up to the challenge because we are the democracy, and the democracy is the only cure to this challenge."

Karzai said, "Pakistan and Afghanistan are conjoined twins. Our suffering is shared; our joys are always shared."