Mullen’s attempt to neutralize Pakistani opposition came as Defense Secretary Robert Gates made a similar visit to Afghanistan. Speaking in Kabul, Gates apologized for last month’s massive US air strike that killed an estimated ninety Afghan civilians, including some sixty children.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates: “I think the key for us is, on those rare occasions when we do make a mistake, when there is an error, is to apologize quickly, to compensate the victims quickly and then carry out the investigation. And I think that that’s the approach that we’ve had in Iraq, and I think we need to move to that here.”

Gates’ apology marked a stark reversal from the initial US reaction. For weeks, the US has denied a massive civilian death toll, insisting only five civilians were killed. Gates spoke hours after four members of the US-led occupation force were killed in a roadside bombing.