US military chief visits Pakistan for third time

ISLAMABAD - Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday for talks with the Pakistani military leadership focused on cooperation in the war on terrorism.
Mullen has been chairman for less than a year and visited three times since February, when an election in Pakistan resulted in defeat for parties allied to President Pervez Musharraf.
Mullen is expected to meet army chief Ashfaq Kayani, and General Tariq Majid, the chairman of the Pakistani joint chiefs of staff, to discuss military cooperation and exchanges.
Mullen could also meet U.S. ally Musharraf and members of the coalition government, according to officials.
Speculation has intensified that Musharraf could be forced from office within weeks or months as the coalition partners seek to either reduce his role to ceremonial or impeach him.
The White House said last Friday that President George W. Bush "looked forward to President Musharraf's continuing role in further strengthening U.S.-Pakistani relations," after the two leaders spoke on the telephone.
The United States is concerned the nuclear-armed Muslim nation could slip into a prolonged period of political instability that could only benefit the militants.
Mullen's visit comes amid U.S. fears that peace deals being negotiated between a new coalition government and Islamist militants could create a safe haven for al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal regions, and lead to more cross border attacks on NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Though they are seldom acknowledged officially, the United States has stepped up missile attacks by Predator drone aircraft on militant targets in Pakistani tribal regions close to the Afghan border in recent months.
The most recent attack was on a house in the North Waziristan tribal region on Monday, but villagers said the house was empty.