US President Barack Obama will hold a situation room meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan with his national security team on Friday to take a stock of the current situation following arrests of some top Taliban commander.
The meeting is also expected to discuss the progress of the major operation by the US and Afghan forces against the Taliban in Southern Afghanistan.
Among others the meeting would be attended by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defence Secretary Robert Gates, US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, US Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen, and General James E. Cartwright, USMC, Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and General David Petraeus, US Central Command, the White House said.
Admiral (rtd) Dennis Blair, Director of National Intelligence; CIA Director Leon Panetta; General (rtd) James Jones, National Security Advisor will also attend the meeting.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson and US Commander in Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal would participate in the meeting via video-conferencing.