This afternoon, President Obama called General John Allen, Commander of U.S. Forces and the NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, to discuss the ongoing violence in Afghanistan and the tragic killing of two U.S. servicemembers this morning. On behalf of the American people, the President expressed his condolences to General Allen and to the families who lost loved ones. The President thanked General Allen for all of the measures he is taking to protect our servicemembers and civilians in Afghanistan and to encourage calm. We welcome President Karzai’s statement this morning encouraging peaceful expressions, and his call for dialogue and calm. The United States remains committed to a partnership with the government and people of Afghanistan, as we work to realize our shared goal of disrupting, dismantling and defeating al Qaeda and strengthening the Afghan state.