US general meets Musharraf

General Tommy Franks, who commands US forces in the Middle East and Central Asia, has met the Pakistani President, General Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad.

The meeting came hours before the head of the UN weapons inspection team in Iraq presented a key report on to the Security Council, of which Pakistan is a non-permanent member.

A statement from the Pakistani military described General Franks's trip to Islamabad as a routine visit, saying that the talks focussed on cooperation between Pakistani troops and the US-led coalition in neighbouring Afghanistan.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service