Obama makes calls, meets aides before speech

Here it is, the obligatory, pre-big-speech photo op.

Journalists snapped photos of President Obama on the phone Wednesday, speaking with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah just hours before a prime-time speech on the U.S. strategy to battle the terrorist threat of the Islamic State.

The White House also announced that Obama and Vice President Biden would meet Wednesday with members of the National Security Council in the Situation Room.

Also attending that meeting, per the White House:

• Chuck Hagel, secretary of Defense

• Denis McDonough, White House chief of staff

• Susan Rice, national security adviser

• Samantha Power, representative of the United States of America to the United Nations

• John Podesta, counselor to the president

• Neil Eggleston, White House counsel

• James Clapper, director of National Intelligence

• John Brennan, director of the Central Intelligence Agency

• Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

• Bill Burns, deputy secretary of State

• Antony Blinken, deputy national security adviser

• Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism

• Benjamin Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting

• Philip Gordon, special assistant to the president and White House coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa, and Gulf Region

• Jeff Prescott, deputy national security adviser to the vice president

• Katie Fallon, director of the Office of Legislative Affairs