Obama to meet Pakistan and Afghan presidents

President Barack Obama will today host talks with Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai in a bid for closer regional co-operation and a greater response to the Taliban insurgency.

The White House is expected to call for a renewed effort from the governments in Islamabad and Kabul as part of a co-ordinated response to ongoing violence in the area. Mr Obama will meet the two presidents separately before holding a trilateral summit.

The meetings comes as the security situation in Pakistan’s Swat Valley worsens following the collapse of a three-month-old truce.

Thousands of people have fled the region in fear of an intensification of violence as Taliban and Pakistani forces fight for control.

Yesterday militants seized government buildings and laid mines in the area. Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said militants were in control of “90%” of the valley.

The breakdown of the ceasefire and surge in violence has highlighted the precarious state of Pakistan’s security situation ahead of the White House summit.

Addressing a congressional committee yesterday, Mr Obama’s special envoy to the region Richard Holbrooke said Pakistan was not a failed state but added that it does face enormous challenges and needed US support.

Mr Holbrooke also emphasised the importance of a stable Pakistan.

He told the House Foreign Affairs Committee: “Our most vital national security interests are at stake.”

White House officials said the administration’s aim is to engage both Afghanistan and Pakistan as fully-fledged allies in the fight against the Taliban.

The US administration is looking for greater commitment by the visiting heads of state to confronting the militants rather than attempting to accommodate or make peace with the Taliban.

Mr Holbrooke said: “We need to put the most heavy possible pressure on our friends in Pakistan to join us in the fight against the Taliban and its allies. We cannot succeed in Afghanistan without Pakistan’s support and involvement.”

However, experts on the region have questioned if the two governments can deliver on any promises.

Anthony Cordesman, of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said: “What they (the US administration) are hoping for and what they are likely to get are two different things.

“The goal in theory would be to get much closer co-operation between Pakistan and Afghanistan in fighting the Taliban. The president can ask for that and will probably get some kind of pledge.

“But Karzai is a relatively weak leader with a weak government and security force and Pakistan faces a major crisis.”

He added: “Noone has any illusions about immediate progress. This is not a meeting that will produce dramatic change, but it can lead to steps forward.”