Pakistan, Afghanistan, US face common enemy: Clinton

Washington: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary ClintonHillary Clinton Wednesday said that Pakistan, Afghanistan and U.S. are facing a common threat.

The United States deeply regrets the deaths of civilians in Afghanistan, she said at a joint press conference with President Asif Ali ZardariAsif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid KarzaiAfghan President Hamid Karzai

"I wish to express my personal regret and certainly the sympathy of our administration on the loss of civilian life in Afghanistan," Clinton told.

"We deeply regret it. We don't know all of the circumstances or causes. And there will be a joint investigation by your government and ours," Clinton said.

"But any loss of life, any loss of innocent life, is particularly painful," the chief US diplomat said.

"And I want to convey to the people of both Afghanistan and Pakistan that we will work very hard with your governments and with your leaders to avoid the loss of innocent civilian life," Clinton said.

"And we deeply, deeply regret that loss," she added.

“We welcome the leadership of Pakistan and Afghanistan in this difficult time, she said.

Secretary Clinton said: “We all have a responsibility along with two governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to restore the peace in their respective countries.”

Afghanistan and Pakistan have committed a trade and transit agreement aimed at increasing commerce and foreign investment in the two countries, Clinton said.

The pact, to be concluded by year's end, is "an important milestone in their efforts to generate foreign investment, stronger economic growth and trade opportunities," she said.

Speaking on this occasion, President Asif Ali Zardari promised to aid Afghanistan and the United States in battling the threat of terrorism posed by al Qaeda and the Taliban insurgents.

"Our threat is common and our responsibilities should be shared. I am here to assure that we should share this burden with you," he said.

The president said that he would work with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to fight terrorism.

"We stand with our brother Karzai and the people of Afghanistan against this common threat, this menace, which I have called a cancer," he said.

President Zardari said that even though his democratically-elected civilian government had been in power only a seven months, it had done better fighting terrorism than under the rule of President Pervez MusharrafPresident Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a military coup.

"Pakistani democracy will deliver, the terrorists will be defeated by our joint struggle,” he said.

Source: GEO TV Pakistan