Obama calls Afghan and Pakistani leaders ahead of surge announcement

President Barack Obama spoke with Afghan and Pakistani leaders in the past 24 hours ahead of announcing his troop surge in Afghanistan.

Obama spoke with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday evening and Pakistani President Asif Zardari on Tuesday morning to discuss Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

According to a White House readout of the call, Obama and Karzai spoke for an hour, with the U.S. president emphasizing the need for the Afghan Security Forces to step forward to assume a greater share of peacekeeping duties in the country.

Obama "also emphasized that U.S. and international efforts in Afghanistan are not open ended and must be evaluated toward measurable and achievable goals within the next 18 to 24 months," the readout said.

The president's call is Zardari took on a slightly different tenor, judging by a separate White House readout of the call.

Obama "recognized the profound sacrifices Pakistan has made in its efforts to combat extremists in its northwest and emphasized that our goal is to defeat al-Qaida and to ensure stability in the region," the readout said. "The two presidents agreed 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."

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