High-level U.S. military officials held a secret meeting with Pakistani military officers last week to discuss the violence along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the Chicago Tribune reports.

U.S. commanders — including Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen and Army Gen. David Petraeus — met with senior Pakistani officials aboard an aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean. Pakistan's army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, attended.

It was the first meeting between U.S. and Pakistani military officials since former Gen. Pervez Musharraf stepped down as Pakistan's president.

The United States is very concerned about the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan. Presumably, there were discussions about what the Pakistani military and new government are doing to contain the insurgents.

Adm. Mullen acknowledged the event but said only: "I can tell you that I came away from the meeting very encouraged that the focus is where it needs to be and ... that the military-to-military relationship we're building with Pakistan is getting stronger every day."

The Tribune's Aamer Madhani wrote: "The timing of the meeting as well as the high rank of the U.S. commanders involved underscores the Pentagon's desire to strengthen their ties to Pakistan's military leaders during a tumultuous period on Pakistan's political scene."

Mr. Musharraf was the Bush administration's closest ally in Pakistan. It is unknown whether any candidate in the upcoming election will be able to take on the militants. The front-runner is former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's widower Asaf Ali Zardari.

Someone will have to do it. Presumably, that was discussed.