Updated on
Summary President Obama chaired a meeting of National Security Council on AfPak situation.
The US President Barack Obama met with his national security team, headed by National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, Wednesday at the White House in what was described by the White House spokesman as a part of Obamas regular meetings on Afghanistan and Pakistan. The President received an update on the US engagement with the Pakistani government on a range of issues of mutual interest, including efforts to strengthen cooperation along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.Sources informed Dunya News that the tension between Pakistan and United States after the Salala checkpost attack on November 26 was also discussed and options to move forward, including Pakistans demand of a clear-cut apology, were discussed. However, the US administration has decided to wait for recommendations originating from Pakistani parliamentary review before making any next move, sources added.The President also received an update on Afghanistan, including the building of capable Afghan security forces, Americas support for an Afghan-led reconciliation process, and the ongoing efforts to build a long-term, strategic partnership between the United States and Afghanistan. The President was briefed on the recent contacts between US and Taliban and the efforts to take other stakeholders like Afghanistan, Pakistan and India on-board in this regard.The President also received an update on preparations for the NATO Summit in Chicago, where, according to a White House spokesperson, “the United States will further define the ongoing transition to Afghan-lead security and NATO’s commitment to the future of Afghanistan as agreed to at the 2010 NATO Summit in Lisbon.- Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in Washington, DC
