The White House, presumably stung by criticism following its acknowledgment last week that the president hadn’t presided over a meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan in quite a while, today put out a press release trumpeting such a meeting.
The press release is below. And no, it’s not a parody. One might have presumed the president routinely receives updates on the situation in Pakistan and in Afghanistan, and on preparations for the NATO summit. But perhaps not. The fact of this press release makes one wonder if the president, who has after all assured us that “the tide of war is receding,” has totally receded from his duties as commander in chief. Still, I suppose we should be grateful he’s interrupted his campaigning to take the time to personally receive updates on the war (a term nowhere found in the press release) our troops are fighting.
Yikes.
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: White House Press Office
Date: Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 6:01 PM
Subject: Readout of the President’s Meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 2012
Readout of the President’s Meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan
President Obama met today with his national security team as a part of his regular meetings on Afghanistan and Pakistan. The President received an update on our engagement with the Pakistani Government on a range of issues of mutual interest, including efforts to strengthen cooperation along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The President also received an update on Afghanistan, including the building of capable Afghan security forces, our support for an Afghan-led reconciliation process, and our efforts to build a long-term, strategic partnership between the United States and Afghanistan. Finally, the President received an update on preparations for the NATO Summit in Chicago, where we will further define the ongoing transition to Afghan-lead [sic] security and NATO’s commitment to the future of Afghanistan as agreed to at the 2010 NATO Summit in Lisbon.
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