Pentagon to work with Pakistani military on differences

Despite the troubled U.S.- Pakistani relationship, the Pentagon said Tuesday that it will continue to work with its Pakistani counterpart to resolve the differences. "We want to maintain a relationship with Pakistan that's grounded in common interests, to include going after terrorists that threaten both countries," Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters. "There are differences from time to time in the relationship with Pakistan, as there are in any partnership," he said. "Those differences have been made public, and we continue to discuss ( them) in private." The remarks came as ties between the U.S. and Pakistan was strained after top U.S. defense officials accused Pakistan's intelligence agency of supporting the Haqqani network blamed for recent attacks on the U.S. embassy and a military base in Afghanistan. The harsh criticism was met with outright denial and outrageous reaction from Pakistan which warned that Washington may lose an ally of the war on terror. Despite the bickering, Little said the Pentagon looks forward to working with the Pakistanis to try to resolve such differences. "It's important that both sides continue the dialogue," he added, "and that's happening."