Mullen creates Pak-Afghan Coordination Cell

* Cell established to focus on related conflicts in Pakistan, Afghanistan
* Meant to draw in experts experienced on Afghanistan

LAHORE: Far from the prestigious windowed offices on the outerring of the Pentagon, a new war room focusing entirely on the conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan sits deep inside a cavernous basement, the LA Times reported on Monday.

Created by Navy Adm Michael G Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pakistan Afghanistan Coordination Cell is intended to bring together the Pentagon's top strategy and intelligence experts. The cell is also a visible symbol of how much the related conflicts have become Mullen's war.

Stripped of cubicle walls and lined with desks, the cavernous room with fluorescent lights looks something like an old-style newsroom or steno pool - save for the addition of classified phones and computers at each workstation.

"Adm Mullen understands the Pentagon has to change from planning wars to fighting them," said Army Maj Gen Michael T Flynn, who served as Mullen's intelligence officer, then joined the command in Afghanistan.

Intent: The intent is to draw in experts on Afghanistan - from all the military services as well as civilians - who have experience in the country and expertise on Afghan politics, the insurgency, narcotics and other issues. The initiative will create a bench of experts who will eventually rotate back and forth between the US and Afghanistan. Army Brig Gen Scott Miller, head of the coordination cell, said, "Mullen understands it is going to take his personal involvement if we are not going to just do business as usual."

By law, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs has no official power to directly oversee troops. Still, Mullen's hand can be seen throughout the new US military strategy for the two countries.

He has repeatedly reminded military services of the Obama administration's sense of urgency. And he has brought an assertive approach, pushing them to shift their best officers and key equipment to the region.

The new strategy includes sending 21,000 additional US troops to Afghanistan. But it also makes a much deeper commitment to counterinsurgency. To implement it, Mullen worked with Defence Secretary Robert M Gates to oust the previous US commander in Afghanistan, Army Gen David D McKiernan. Mullen's top aide, Army Gen Stanley A McChrystal, was installed in his place.

McChrystal has put in place tough new rules backed by Mullen aimed at minimising civilian casualties and is emphasising that the military's priority is protecting civilians, not killing insurgents - even if that means some areas of Afghanistan remain under Taliban control for the time being.

Military officials say Mullen has not just been moving top officers to Afghanistan, but has also been spurring the services to make changes deeper in the ranks. Mullen has demanded that officers graduating from the National Defence University prepare to deploy to Afghanistan. Mullen wants the university's best students to fill key vacancies in Afghanistan.

Roughly half of the recommendations adopted by the White House in its review were originally from the strategy review ordered by Mullen - including the idea of looking at Afghanistan and Pakistan as an interrelated problem.