Washington, Oct. 10 : The chairman of the U. S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, has said that U. S.-led forces are "not going to be able to kill our way to victory in Pakistan and Afghanistan", and added that a new strategy is needed to suppress a resurgent Taliban movement before it''s too late.

Violence has increased markedly since 2006 and "the trends are going in the wrong direction unless we take significant steps," Admiral. Mullen told reporters at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

Adm. Mullen spoke as the Bush administration finalized a new National Intelligence Estimate on Afghanistan, which is to be released after the U. S. elections.

An intelligence officer, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the topic, said the estimate would confirm the pessimism of some U. S. officials over the situation in Afghanistan.

Admiral Mullen said that the challenges require a new counterinsurgency approach that focuses on increased security, economic growth, political stability and the ability to "convince" the Afghan people that the U. S.-led NATO effort is "not an occupation."

He said the U. S. and its allies must also develop strategies for targeting and eradicating poppy fields. (ANI)