The head of the Joint Chiefs of Stafft, Adm Mike Mullen acknowledged very significant cuts to US military numbers in Pakistan, saying US-Pakistan ties need time to heal. Mr Mullen said some of the US troops, mostly trainers, would remain. Pakistan asked the US to reduce its troop presence after US Special Forces killed Osama bin Laden last month. The raid sparked deep anger in Pakistan, further damaging already strained ties with the US. The US has provided Pakistan with billions of dollars of aid in recent years, much of it military assistance. Washington sees its relations with Pakistan as vital in the fight against al-Qaeda and against Taliban militants in Afghanistan who use safe havens in Pakistan's tribal regions on the border. But with al-Qaeda leader bin Laden now known to have been living undetected almost next door to a major Pakistani military academy, many in the US Congress have questioned the value of the US aid.