Pakistan and US 'are at a crossroads' says Hilary Clinton

Mrs Clinton made the remarks after meeting Pakistani leaders on a seven-hour trip aimed at repairing ties badly damaged by the 2 May US raid that killed the al-Qaeda leader. A brief portion of the meetings witnessed by reporters was stiff and awkward, with no smiles among the US delegation, and it was unclear how much progress was made.

Although she stressed the US would not abandon an alliance it considers critical to success in the war in Afghanistan, and that both countries had shared interests, Mrs Clinton also criticised Pakistanis for propagating conspiracy theories and anti-American sentiment.

Pakistani officials are angry they were not told in advance of the raid against bin Laden. Parliament has passed resolutions condemning the US incursion, and the US has been asked to reduce the number of military personnel it has stationed in Pakistan.

In the US, suspicions have abounded that elements in Pakistan's security services may have harboured bin Laden, and there have been calls for a review of the billions of dollars in military and humanitarian aid the US gives to Pakistan each year.

Yesterday, Mrs Clinton and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, met Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari and prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, among others.

Afterwards, Mrs Clinton said relations "had reached a turning point," but that she thought Pakistan knew the stakes involved. She joked about the tense atmosphere at the beginning of the talks, but was serious-faced for the most of the news conference.

She said: "We will do our part, and we look to the government of Pakistan to take decisive steps in the days ahead.

"Joint action against al-Qaeda and its affiliates will make Pakistan, America and the world safer and more secure."

She added that the US had been given access to bin Laden's compound, a sign of ongoing co-operation between the nations.

The US relies on Pakistan for transit and supply routes, and will need its help if Afghanistan is to broker a peace deal with Taleban militants. The country is believed to have influence over several Afghan insurgent commanders. Mrs Clinton acknowledged this, saying: "For reconciliation to succeed Pakistan must be part of this process."

Mr Zardari's office released a statement after the meeting saying that the two sides had agreed to "work together in any future actions against high-value targets in Pakistan," and to co-operate on promoting peace.