The White House on Tuesday said that U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with Pakistani President Asif Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai ahead of the U.S. President's major announcement on the new U.S. policy towards Afghanistan. Obama spoke with Zardari by telephone Tuesday morning, and had a teleconference with Karzai late Monday evening. The communication comes ahead of Obama's Tuesday night announcement on U.S. policy towards Afghanistan, which will be made at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. The announcement is likely to detail the U.S.' deployment of around 30,000 troops to bolster the troops already in the war-torn country. In his call with Zardari, Obama spoke of the “profound sacrifices Pakistan has made in its efforts to combat extremists in its northwest." The two leaders also reiterated that the “close partnership between Pakistan and the United States is vital to success, and President Obama promised to continue to assist Pakistan in its efforts against extremists,” the statement said. In his one hour video teleconference with Karzai, Obama spoke of the “way ahead in Afghanistan,” the White House said. “The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work closely together to ensure stability in Afghanistan and to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for terrorists. They also discussed a range of related issues, including security and governance. In his conversation, Obama also “underscored the need for more rapid development of the Afghan National Security Forces so that Afghans themselves can assume greater responsibility over the security of their country.”
