Beef tenderloin and failing states: it’s what’s for dinner

Vice President Joseph Biden is hosting the presidential delegations from Afghanistan and Pakistan for dinner tonight at his Naval Observatory residence. Among the guests are several members of the Senate and House foreign affairs committees (as well as Rep. Nita Lowey, the chair of the House appropriations state foreign ops subcommittee) that hold the purse strings on bills outlining some $1.5 billion in proposed military and civilian assistance to Pakistan that the administration would like to get out the door.

Pool reporter Carol Lee of Politico tallies the full guest list:

From the Afghanistan delegation:
   •  His Excellency Hamid Karzai President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency Said Tayeb Jawad Ambassador of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency Rangin Dadfar Spanta Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency General Abdul Rahim Wardak Minister of Defense of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency Haneef Atmar Minister of Interior of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency Dr. Zalmay Rassoul National Security Advisor of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency Dr. Omar Zakhilwal Minister of Finance of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency Wahidullah Shahrani Minister of Commerce and Industry
   •  His Excellency Asif Rahimi Minister of Agriculture
   •  His Excellency Amrullah Saleh Director General of National Directorate of Security (Director of National Intelligence)
   •  Mr. Homayun Hamidzada Spokesperson, Office of the President

From the Pakistan delegation: 

   •  His Excellency Asif Ali Zardari President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
   •  His Excellency Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians
   •  His Excellency Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Minister of Foreign Affairs
   •  His Excellency Husain Haqqani Ambassador to the United States
   •  His Excellency Nazar Muhammad Gondal Minister for Food and Agriculture
   •  Mr. A. Rehman Malik Interior Minister
   •  Mr. Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira Minister of Information
   •  Mr. Salman Faruqui Secretary General
   •  Mr. Shaukat Fayaz Ahmed Tarin Finance Advisor
   •  Lt. General Ahmed Shuja Pasha Director General
   •  Brig. Mian Muhammad Hilal Hussain Military Secretary to the President
   •  Mrs. Ispahani, Spokesperson

The Guests:

   •  The Honorable Howard L. Berman, Representative (D-CA), HFAC Chairman
   •  Mr. James A. Bever, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia and the Near East, United States Agency for International Development
   •  Antony Blinken, Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President
   •  Donald A. Camp, Senior Director for South Asia,  National Security Council
   •  The Honorable Karl Eikenberry, American Ambassador to Afghanistan
   •  The Honorable Michele Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
   •  Mr. Alonzo L. Fulgham, Acting Administrator, United States Agency for International Development
   •  The Honorable Peter Galbraith, Deputy UN Envoy to Afghanistan
   •  The Honorable Kay Granger (R-TX)
   •  The Honorable Judd Gregg (R-NH)
   •  The Honorable Tom Harkin (D-IA)
   •  The Honorable Richard C. Holbrooke, United States Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
   •  General James Jones, USMC (Ret.), Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
   •  The Honorable John F. Kerry (D-MA)
   •  The Honorable Jacob J. Lew, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources
   •  The Honorable Nita M. Lowey (D-NY)
   •  Lt. General Douglas Lute, National Security Council
   •  The Honorable Robert Mueller, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
   •  Dr. Vali Nasr, Senior Advisor to Ambassador Holbrooke
   •  The Honorable Leon Panetta, Director, Central Intelligence Agency
   •  The Honorable Anne W. Patterson, American Ambassador to Pakistan
   •  The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
   •  General David Petraus, Commander, U.S. Central Command
   •  The Honorable Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
   •  The Honorable Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture
   •  The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State (*RECEPTION ONLY)
   •  The Honorable Tom Donilon, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor (*RECEPTION ONLY)
   •  The Honorable Jim Steinberg, Deputy Secretary of State (*RECEPTION ONLY)

On the menu:

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho

Balsamic-marinated Beef Tenderloin with wild rice and orzo pilaf and spring asparagus

Arugula Salad

Strawberry-Rhubarb Croustade with Vanilla Ice Cream