Hillary launches U.S.-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral consultations

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton convened a three-way meeting with the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan Wednesday, saying they face a common threat, task and challenge posed by Islamic extremism. Clinton stressed U.S. regret over the death of Afghan civilians in a U.S. air attack Monday against Taliban forces.

The trilateral meeting, the second of its kind this year, comes at a critical juncture with both the Pakistani and Afghan governments facing major battlefield challenges from militant forces.

Clinton, convening joint talks that are to continue later at the White House with President Obama, said the administration has common cause with the two South Asian governments, who she said are struggling