Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

NEW YORK (AP) – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is urging the leaders from the Muslim world to stand together with the U.S. and resist the forces of extremism.

Ahead of meetings with the presidents of Pakistan, Libya, Afghanistan and Egypt in New York today, Clinton warned that “extremists around the world are working hard to drive us apart.”

She told Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari that the U.S. appreciates the “strong response” of his government to the furious protests over the vulgar depiction of the Prophet Mohammed in the video produced in the U.S. Pakistan today disavowed a $100,000 bounty offer made by a Pakistani Cabinet minister to anyone who kills the maker of the film. Zardari acknowledged: “It’s been a difficult time for all of us.”‘

Clinton also thanked Libya’s president for the support his government has offered in the aftermath of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. The Libyan (Mohamed Magariaf) called the incident a painful tragedy and said later demonstrations denouncing the attack and the armed militias in his country reflect the true conscience of Libyan people.