The State Department spokesman Robert Wood brushed aside the notion that its UN Ambassador in his parleys with PPP co-chairman Zardari may have undercut the administration's own efforts in coming to terms with the developments in Pakistan.

“Ambassador Khalilzad has relationships with a number of leaders in the region, and he provides good counsel to the Secretary of State and the President on various subjects. And so I don't see that as an  issue with regard to our relationship with Pakistan,” Wood said.

He also said that the country's ability to fight the war on terror effectively depended on Pakistani cooperation.
“We are obviously working with the new government to try to do what we can to defeat Taliban on both sides of the border. And it's important not just for the US and Pakistan, but for rest of the international community,” Wood said.

“But Ambassador Khalilzad is an important player in the US Government, and the Secretary and the President, as I said, really respect his views greatly,” he added.

Khalilzad had spoken to Zardari several times a week for the past month until he was confronted about his "unauthorized contacts".

The Ambassador  had also planned to meet the Pakistani leader privately while on vacation in Dubai, in a session that was called off after Richard Boucher, the assistant secretary of state for South Asia, learned from Zardari that the ambassador was providing "advice and help."