Dempsey revealed at a news conference that he had scheduled a discreet trip to Pakistan to meet chief of the army staff, General Ashfaq Kayani, but the two agreed to call off the talks amid unrest on the streets of Pakistani cities.
"I was originally planned to go to Pakistan to meet with General Kayani, and because of some of the issues related to that film, he and I discussed postponing that visit - mostly so that I would give him the time to deal with the issues he was dealing with internally," said Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The country has been rocked by days of violent protests in its major cities as demonstrations have swept Muslim countries in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia over an anti-Islam film, a crude production by American amateurs.
Instead, Dempsey said he extended an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, visiting the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand.
The general did not take reporters with him and his office made no public announcement about his Afghan trip.
Dempsey has adopted a lower profile than his media-friendly predecessor, Admiral Mike Mullen, who at times publicly diverged from the White House's stance on some issues.
Unlike the previous chairman, Dempsey has taken a number of overseas trips without any press documenting his visits, including a meeting of NATO officers in Romania last week.
The general denied that he had kept the trip under wraps because of any doubts about the war effort in Afghanistan, where a rise in insider attacks by Afghan forces has caused concern at the Pentagon.
COMMENTS (8)
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thats the real face of american and russian leadership, scare to death by an event ill say that its nothing. if we were an united front these american etc will be out of this region in seconds. that will probably make developments in the right direction. and kyani says he want to settle things internally: thats mean everyone is not in favour of the foreigners in the army. thats nice to know.
@Jaideep Gupta: " Pakistan people should be mature enough to find that Islam is not weak religion rather it is so strong and based on principles and values". Mr Gupta, what makes you say that it is not a weak and immature religion when its followers all over the world more or less react the same way. And what makes you think that those who do not react this way are the real followers and not the ones who are ready to kill each other in order to show how upset they are?
Like I said, our Pakistan has become even wilder than Afghanistan.
Anti-American protest should be subdued because the director of the film on which there is a large scale furore has been arrested today. Pakistan people should be mature enough to find that Islam is not weak religion rather it is so strong and based on principles and values. Any one can say anything against anyone but mature should not pay a heed to childish jugglery. If someone even kill the director of 'Innocence of muslim', that doesn't justify the killing of over 100 people around the world in the name of Islam.
First it was Russian President. Now it is USA military. Seems they develop diarrhoea hearing the word Pakistan. One will go to India and the other to Afghanistan.
Mubarakan, Mubarakan!
So the protests DID pay off in a way! I am sure the highest ranking military man of world biggest superpower thinks that Pakistan is absolutely stable!
BTW, Today is another Friday, that stupid Video is still there on Internet, and rest of the world is going on in its usual way. Would those Prayer leaders of last Friday who asked people to protest think today about those 21 dead and 200 injured (not to speak of so many destroyed shops, banks and car owners) ? Any introspection about what they achieved?
"US, Pakistan called off military talks due to protests: US" Did he get this insight from Mr. Putin???
Seems now Afghanistan is safer than Pakistan ..... "Instead, Dempsey said he extended an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, visiting the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand."