'We Face a Common Threat':

White House to Push Afghanistan and Pakistan to Fight Extremists

With growing concerns about security in Pakistan, President Obama will convene a trilateral meeting today with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan to discuss how the three nations can work together to stabilize the region.

White House officials say that Obama will push Karzai and Zardari to commit to work more intensely and cooperatively to fight al Qaeda and other extremists.

The two leaders are in Washington this week for a series of meetings where the focus will be on the shared security concerns among the three nations.

Today's meetings kick off at the State Department, where Secretary Hillary Clinton will meet first with Karzai, then with Zardari.

In the afternoon, Obama will hold separate meetings with both Karzai and Zardari, and then all three leaders will meet. In the evening, Vice President Joe Biden will host a dinner with Karzai and Zardari, their respective delegations and congressional leaders.