Official: U.S., Pakistan, Afghanistan discuss creation of joint military force against insurgents

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- A senior U.S. official confirmed here Tuesday that Washington is discussing with its Pakistani and Afghan allies the creations of a joint military forces to combat insurgents on the Pakistani-Afghan border.

"We're obviously taking a good look at it. We're going to analyze it and see where we go from here on it," State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said, adding that "We will probably have something to say once we've done a thorough analysis of it."

Last month officials from the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan began discussing the creation of a joint military force to attack insurgent sanctuaries on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border, the Washington Post quoted Afghan Defense Minister Rahim Wardak as reporting Tuesday.

"The terrorists have not recognized any boundaries. So to fight them, we have to eventually come up with some arrangement, together with our neighbor Pakistan," Wardak said.

"Pakistan's government is considering the plan. They say they are looking at it," Wardak said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, have for months stated that the U.S. military is willing to conduct joint operations with Pakistani forces against insurgent havens in tribal areas in Pakistan.

Violence doubled in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007 and is expected to reach its highest level this year, according to Wardak.