For Immediate Release Office of the
Press Secretary May 3, 2002
Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer The James
S. Brady Briefing Room
Listen
to the Briefing
12:39 P.M. EDT
MR. FLEISCHER: The President this morning had his usual round of
intelligence briefings, and then he made remarks earlier this
morning about the vacancy crisis in our federal courts.
He completed a meeting late this morning with the Foreign
Minister of Russia, at which they discussed the President's hope to
be able to reach reductions in offensive weapons agreement before
the President's -- that would be signed at the President's meeting
with President Putin in Russia later this month. They discussed
trade issues between the United States and Russia, as well as the
upcoming meeting in Italy to discuss Russia's role within NATO.
The President later this afternoon will host a reception for
Cinco de Mayo.
Then he will depart from the White House for Camp David, where
the President will meet with President of Spain Aznar, where they
will discuss bilateral issues between the United States and Spain.
They will discuss the war against terrorism, as well as the upcoming
NATO summit in the Czech Republic later this year.
On announcement, and then I'll be happy to take your questions.
President Bush will meet with Prime Minister Sharon at the White
House on May 7th, to discuss developments in the Middle East, as
well as key bilateral issues.
And with that, I'm happy to take your questions.
Q Your Russian guest said that there is a very high probability
that there will be an agreement in time for the Moscow meeting.
Would you agree with that characterization?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I would say that across the board relations
with Russia are very strong. President Bush has made a top priority
of his administration, working very closely with President Putin on
a range of issues involving proliferation, involving missile
reductions, involving moving beyond the ABM treaty and helping
Russia to look westward.
The President is hopeful that an agreement can be reached that he
will be able to sign when he arrives in Russia. There has been a lot
of hard work done by the Russians and the Americans, and the
President is hopeful.
Q But does the White House agree or disagree with that
characterization, that there's a very high probability that it will
be --
MR. FLEISCHER: I leave it just as I said, that the President is
hopeful.
Q Ari, the unemployment rate for April was 6 percent, the highest
in almost eight years. How is the White House interpreting that, and
are you concerned at all about political implications for the
President and the Republicans?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President is very concerned about anybody in
America who is unemployed. And the President has noted that there
has been some recent news about the economy. It's beginning to
recover from last year's recession and to grow. He also notes, of
course, that unemployment is typically a lagging indicator.
But the President does believe that as a result of the interest
rate cuts that were enacted last year, as a result of the tax cut
that was enacted last year, as a result of the stimulus enacted
earlier this year, there are strong signs that the economy is poised
to grow and unemployment will come down.
The President believes to make that happen now it requires
congressional action, and he hopes that Congress will pass trade
promotion authority, which will create jobs, take action on energy
legislation to create jobs, and pass terrorism insurance, which can
also help to create jobs in our economy.
Q But the reality is that if Congress doesn't do that and you --
and the recovery isn't happening as quickly as you'd like, and
that's apparently what these numbers would mean, that it could be
the primary political issue come November?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I'm not going to guess what could be a
primary political issue. I do note that the American people strongly
support the President and his economic policies. I've seen abundant
amounts of data from the media. Particularly, there was a Gallup
poll, for example, out just yesterday that asked questions about the
American people -- of the American people about the President's
handling of the economy, and they are overwhelmingly supportive of
it.
And I think one of the things American people look for from
Washington is for the President and the Congress to be able to work
together on behalf of the country. And one of the best ways that the
President and the Congress can work together is to get agreement on
trade promotion authority; to get agreement on comprehensive energy
legislation, which has a side benefit of creating a lot of jobs for
the American people; and to get an agreement on terrorism insurance,
which is harming the ability, particularly in the commercial real
estate sector and in the building trades for people to get hired,
because there is a lack of insurance or a problem with getting full
insurance, which is hindering the ability of large buildings to be
constructed. Large building construction is one of the greatest ways
to make certain that working Americans, particularly blue collar
workers, people in the building trades, get the jobs that they
deserve.
Q Ari, a couple on the visit of the Foreign Minister and the
potential for an agreement. First off, is the sticking point still
that the U.S. wants to store excess warheads in case of an
emergency, and the Russians continuing to object to that? Or has
that been worked out?
MR. FLEISCHER: Kelly, as you can imagine, involving any major
codification of something as significant as the fundamental
reduction that the President says he will make in offensive arms,
there is a series of issues, some of which are legal. I have not
delved into the specifics of each one of them. But there -- any
announcement of this type, any codification of this type has a lot
of t's to be crossed and i's to be dotted. And that's what the
lawyers and the negotiators are working on now.
Q The other thing is the Foreign Ministry used the word "treaty"
when he came out and talked to us here. Does the U.S. view what the
President and President Putin could sign later this month as a
"treaty" as well?
MR. FLEISCHER: I would want to talk to some of the lawyers before
I can give you a comfortable answer to that, to see exactly what the
precise form this codification will take.
Q But there is -- you are supporting some type of written
agreement that the two leaders would sign on to --
MR. FLEISCHER: That's correct.
Q -- over this offensive --
MR. FLEISCHER: A document that would be signed in Russian. That's
the President's hope.
Q Let me follow up. Do you agree with the underlying -- that
there are sticking points? Or are we just talking about, as you
said, crossing the t's and dotting the i's?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, that's a good question, Ron. And it goes
back to the President is hopeful. I'm aware of how it's been
characterized. And these are all good signs, but more work needs to
be done. Talks are continuing, and the President is hopeful.
Q Ari, on the side legislation you mentioned on trade promotion
authority, why does the White House think there's been no agreement
over the health care part of that? That's a sticking point on that
bill. And do you believe that steel workers ought to be part of the
legislation as well, as Senator Daschle has asked?
MR. FLEISCHER: Okay, well, number one, this is the nature of the
Congress. Not everything moves at the speed the President would like
it to move, of course, particularly in the Senate. That's a problem
in that, particularly with the Andean Trade Preferences Act, there
are going to be some preferences that will expire, and that can
raise the price for our Latin American friends who do business with
the United States at a time when we need to be promoting
international trade, not creating barriers.
So time is of the essence. That's why the President gave a
deadline to the Senate that's meaningful. The Senate needs to act
and act quickly.
Specifically on the question of TAA or trade adjustment
assistance, trade adjustment assistance has historically been a very
bipartisan program. The problem now is that one of the proposals
offered by the Majority Leader of the Senate has no bipartisan
support. He has taken what has always been a bipartisan program and
turned it into something that is partisan and has gone too far.
Nevertheless, we continue to talk with the Senate to try to reach
an agreement about how to have a trade adjustment agreement that
will allow for passage of the trade promotion authority.
Q But on the question of steel workers, should they be part of
that bill? And should health care benefits in general be part of the
bill?
MR. FLEISCHER: The risk to trade agreements is when the people
start trying to address other issues that in the domestic agenda
have absolutely nothing to do with the fundamental trade agreement
itself. And if people try to make trade promotion authority a
Christmas tree for all kinds of other domestic issues that have no
direct bearing on trade promotion authority, it risks undermining
the prospects for a bipartisan agreement.
Q Yesterday, the President seemed to go beyond -- in talking
about the Palestinian Authority -- his call that they renounce
terrorism. He said that this moment represents a new opportunity for
Palestinians to choose how they live, and also talked about the need
to end corruption. Is the President seeking to change the way the
Palestinian Authority governs its areas of responsibilities? And how
does he want to see that affected? Would there be strings attached
to American aid to make sure that there's open bidding, or that kind
of thing?
MR. FLEISCHER: As part of the President's vision of an Israel and
a Palestinian living side by side, as two states living in security
and in peace, a major part of that is the commitment of the
Palestinian people to have a state that is governed by the rule of
law, by democracy, by transparency, and by a lack of corruption. And
the President does have concerns about the Palestinian Authority,
and making certain that the Palestinian people have a government
that is worthy of them, and is not in any way inhibited in its
ability to serve the people as a result of lack of transparency or
lack of rule of law, or the presence of corruption.
Q So right now he sees the Palestinian Authority as plagued by
corruption? And how would he want the U.S. to help effect a change?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President has spoken out, if you recall, in
Monterrey, about the need to make certain that nations around the
world are not plagued by corruption. And the President's message to
the Palestinian Authority is that they need to make certain that as
part of becoming a state that they take action to make sure they
have transparency, rule of law and fight corruption.
Q I was just wondering does he have any confidence, then, that
Yasser Arafat can give the Palestinian people a democratic,
non-corrupt government?
MR. FLEISCHER: Again, Yasser Arafat, on the question of fighting
terrorism and also on the questions of corruption and rule of law
has not earned the President's trust. And these are all issues that
the President will watch and monitor.
It's worth noting that the Palestinian Authority, within the
lands that they currently have self-governance for, can exercise
those very values that the President described and spoke to in his
speech yesterday. Those will be helpful steps for the Palestinian
Authority to take in the here and now, even before the political
talks reach the stage at which a state can be created. It is a
concern for the President.
Q Just to shift gears on a different subject. The people of
France are going to vote this Sunday in a presidential election in
which Jean-Marie Le Pen is one of the candidates. Has the President
said anything about the Le Pen candidacy; and, in the broader
context, about the rise of anti-Semitic acts of violence in France
and elsewhere in Europe, and the feeling of many Americans that the
leadership in Europe has not done enough to discourage and stop --
MR. FLEISCHER: Separating the two issues, the President, number
one, on the issue of the French election, recognizes of course the
sovereignty of democratic elected France and this is a French
matter. On the question of anti-Semitism, if you recall in a speech
the President gave in San Jose earlier this week, the President
spoke specifically about anti-Semitism and specifically cited the
burning of synagogues in France.
Q And does he think European leaders have done enough to
discourage that kind of activity?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think the President understands that the
governments of Europe and the leaders of Europe have an issue that
is separate, that comes from some quarters of their population that
is anti-Semitic. And the President has raised this in conversations
he's had with different leaders from Europe. It is a concern for the
President.
The President has a real, heartfelt view about human rights and
religious freedom. The President has raised issues about religious
freedom in meetings with China's leaders. The President has raised
issues about rights for people around the world -- as he said in his
State of the Union, human dignity around the world and freedom of
speech, freedom of press, freedom to worship. And the President does
have concerns about anti-Semitism in this world and he has spoken
out about them, mostly privately. He did so publicly, of course, in
his remarks earlier this week.
Q Ari, on the issue of unemployment, but something that goes hand
in hand with that, welfare reform and education. Yesterday Senator
Hillary Clinton said that President Bush's welfare reform proposal
was deficient. And you're saying that the President is concerned
about anyone who is unemployed. Can you rebut Senator Clinton's
statement that it's deficient, especially as far as education, child
care and things of that nature?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think the core of those remarks as I understood
them was that there are several Democrats who want to spend more
money on welfare programs. And as a result of the dramatic decline
in welfare caseloads, by leaving the welfare funding at the 1997
level, which it is currently in law, there is so much more money per
welfare recipient now in the system under the President's proposal,
because of the dramatic decline in caseload, while leaving funding
levels the same level as they were in 1997 when there were millions
more on welfare, the President believes that we have full resources
necessary to help address getting people from welfare into work,
including plenty of money for sufficient money for child care.
The President is very aware that there are certain people whose
preference in government is to raise taxes and use the money to
increase welfare spending. He does not subscribe to that view.
Q But Senator Clinton specifically also said training. And with
unemployment, these people who are off the job, a lot of them are
falling through the cracks and need training and education. What do
you say about that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Training and education are an integral part of
welfare reform under the President's proposal. And that's an issue
that we hope we would be able to work with Senators and Congressmen
on that issue. That's an important issue, and an integral part of
the President's proposals.
Q Ari --
MR. FLEISCHER: You know our system, Les. You're sitting, you're
not standing. You're half up. We're going to come back to you at the
end, Les. That's our --
Q -- no seat, there's a chair.
Q Well, it was a vacant chair. (Laughter.)
MR. FLEISCHER: David Sanger -- Wendell, you're one row behind Mr.
Sanger. We always go row by row by row.
Q You always go row by row, and you always get back to --
MR. FLEISCHER: I get there. (Laughter.) Oh, now we're going to go
all around the room. (Laughter.) Wendell, you follow Les today.
Q And then you come to the side.
MR. FLEISCHER: David Sanger.
Q On Prime Minister Sharon's upcoming visit, he has repeatedly
either defied the President or moved at a pace that the President
did not find sufficient in the month since the speech that the
President gave out in the Rose Garden. Can you tell us in your -- in
the initial thinking about this meeting, what the President's
message has been to Prime Minister Sharon about complying with
American requests, and how he plans to reinforce that message, if at
all, in the meeting?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, number one, in the now just under one month
since the President gave those Rose Garden remarks, there has been
dramatic progress and improvement in the situation in the Middle
East. The President in those remarks called on Israel, the
Palestinian Authority, and the Arab nations to exercise their
responsibilities to help bring peace to the region. And there have
been several positive developments to make that happen. And Israel,
of course, after discussions with the President, began its
withdrawal, continued its withdrawal, and is now out of Ramallah, in
a very helpful breakthrough.
The President understands that these issues have been vexing
issues for decades, if not centuries. And in one month's time, there
has been some helpful progress. More progress is necessary. But the
President's fundamental message to Israel is that he understands
their need to act in self-defense. He understands their need for
security. He wants to be certain that Israel does not take any step
on behalf of those two causes, which endangers the possibility of
arriving at a political solution, or a broader vision of peace down
the road.
Q And will the kinds of suggestions that Mr. Sharon has made in
recent days -- I think on Nightline the other night, about building
barriers and sealing Israel off from the West Bank -- is that the
kind of impediment you're referring to?
MR. FLEISCHER: David, there are many different people in the
Middle East who have their ideas about how to achieve peace and
security. And the purpose of the President's upcoming summits which
he's going to have this week with President Sharon -- Prime Minister
Sharon, and with King Abdullah of Jordan, as well as the multiple
conversations that take place diplomatically, as well at the
ministerial meeting Secretary Powell is organizing for the summer,
the purpose of those meetings is to listen to these ideas, to
explore the different options that people are putting on the table.
It's a far, far better thing for people to suggest their ideas of
peace than to take actions of war. And the President welcomes these
various ideas. And as part of this -- I mentioned the two summits
next week, the ministerial this summer -- since the President took
office, the meeting that he will have with King Abdullah will be the
13th direct summit meeting the President has had with an Arab head
of state, almost one a month since the President became President.
The President has had 53 direct telephone calls with Arab heads of
state. The President is working very, very hard at working the
region, focusing on ideas for peace so that the environment for
peace can be created so they can move to the political steps. There
has been a tremendous amount of personal engagement, and that does
not even include the various phone calls and meetings the Secretary
of State has had on this account.
Q The President is going to be discussing education and his
faith-based plan and other compassionate topics over the next few
weeks. And Democrats say this is basically a campaign ploy to try
and get Republicans elected in the elections. Assuming you don't
agree with that, what is the purpose in talking about issues like
education, which has already been passed by Congress?
MR. FLEISCHER: Number one, the President is very thankful to the
hundreds of Democrats who voted with him on his education plan. The
President thinks that's exactly the type of bipartisanship that
Washington should be known for, and he's grateful for that.
The President will continue to push for education reforms,
particularly now that the education reform helping students and
parents and teachers in secondary schools has been enacted into law,
with a real focus on early childhood development, on little children
who are in Head Start programs. The President has made a proposal to
the Congress to help train all Head Start teachers in the United
States.
So the President, who made a real hallmark of education reform as
a bipartisan issue in Texas, is continuing that trend here in
Washington, and with some good success and good results.
Q Did the President's discussions with Ivanov include the subject
of Iraq and the debate going on in the U.N. right now over
resumption of weapons inspections?
MR. FLEISCHER: Did not.
Q Well, more broadly, if I could follow up, in the past when the
U.N. has dealt with the question of weapons inspections in Iraq, the
Russians have been among the least cooperative from the American
point of view, least cooperative in terms of that issue. Do we see
any change in the Russian point of view on that subject?
MR. FLEISCHER: The United Nations, I believe in June, will have
the next -- that will be the next six-month increment for when the
question of dealing with sanctions in Iraq comes up. There are
ongoing discussions at the United Nations now involving a number of
parties, and we are working productively with our Russian friends on
the question of sanctions for Iraq.
It's too soon to say what form that will result in, but I can
characterize the discussions as productive.
Q I'm actually not asking about the sanctions, I'm asking about
weapons inspections there. The Iraqi media, Iraqi officials who were
in New York over the last few days talking with U.N. officials,
including the Secretary-General, about the possibility of resuming
weapons inspections. Has the Russian attitude toward that changed,
in our view? Have we seen any moderation of the Russian --
MR. FLEISCHER: I think Russia agrees with the United States about
the need to make certain that Iraq lives up to the terms that they,
themselves, said they would honor as a result of agreement to end
the Persian Gulf War in 1991. And that is that Iraq promised they
would not develop weapons of mass destruction, and they need to keep
that promise. And that's ongoing conversations, and I can only
characterize them as such.
Wendell.
Q Ari, thank you. If the purpose of the ministerial meeting
envisioned for the summer is not to negotiate a peace agreement,
practically speaking, what would you expect to come out of the
talks?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think that meeting is going to be a very helpful
way to explore a variety of ideas that different people have for how
to bring peace to the region. And the more people are focused on
ideas to create peace as opposed to actions that lead to war, the
President and the Secretary believe the better off the prospects for
arriving at peace will be.
There are many people who have something they want to contribute.
There are many people who have different ideas. And this ministerial
meeting is one helpful way of bringing these people together, so
that ideas can be talked through and explored.
Q Yesterday, Secretary of State Powell specifically called on
Israel to stop construction of settlements. It is the policy of this
government that continued settlement construction does not advance
the prospects of peace. I have not heard the President call on
Israel to stop constructing settlements.
MR. FLEISCHER: That has been longstanding American policy. I can
--
Q Does the White House believe that Ariel Sharon should
discontinue construction of settlements immediately?
MR. FLEISCHER: The American position and President Bush's
position is that construction of new settlements is not helpful.
Q It's a little bit different, a little nuance there, between
that and a call for Prime Minister Sharon to stop.
MR. FLEISCHER: No, the President agrees with that.
Q Let me ask you one more question, if I may, about a different
issue. Apparently, the FBI had indications, or at least one agent,
that Middle Eastern men were signing up for flight training in
advance of the September 11th attacks. This -- apparently there was
no action taken on this. Is the President troubled by this?
MR. FLEISCHER: I have seen a wire story about that. I have not
had any independent confirmation or any conversations with people
inside the White House about it. And so you may want to talk with
the Department of Justice to ascertain all the facts involved in
that. But I just don't have anything other than the fact that I saw
the same story that you're referring to.
Connie.
Q Thank you. By the way, thank you for your fairness to all of
us. You're really good.
On this announcement by Secretary Powell yesterday, did the White
House authorize it? There was some talk that the announcement might
have been a bit premature.
MR. FLEISCHER: No, it was authorized, of course.
Q Is there any concern that it was kind of a half-baked
announcement? Why was it made at this time, when there's no other
details establishing --
MR. FLEISCHER: I think it was made at this time for the obvious
reasons that the Secretary was in a meeting with the Quartet, which
are some of the key leaders who the Secretary has previously met
with. If you remember, he did so in Spain, on his way out to the
Middle East just about a month or so -- two ago -- month ago. And
this group has worked productively to try to bring ideas to the
floor about how to achieve peace in the Middle East. So it was a
natural place to do it.
Q Ari, what was the President's reaction to the fact that no link
has been found between the September 11th terrorist Mohammed Atta
and Iraq? Did he have any reaction?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, number one, I have seen conflicting media
accounts of those alleged meeting, or whether there was or was not a
meeting. And so I can't comment on the basis of conflicting media
accounts.
Q Why does the President want to sign any treaty in Russia? When
he first announced the missile cuts, he said he'd do it
unilaterally, didn't need agreement.
MR. FLEISCHER: That's correct. Ann, as I indicated earlier this
morning, the President will proceed, because he thinks that this is
the right thing to do for the United States, to unilaterally -- to
reduce the number of offensive weapons.
Q The question is why.
MR. FLEISCHER: Because I think it's a sign of the President as a
very good diplomat, that the President recognizing that this is
something that is important to President Putin, that this is
something that the United States and Russia can work productively
together on, and that's important to President Bush.
So make no mistake, the President does feel very strongly that it
is in America's interest, because you can safely reduce the number
of offensive weapons down to a level in which America will still be
able to protect ourselves, without having -- the President still has
a concern about overspending. And that applies to the Department of
Defense, as well.
So the President believes we can, indeed, safely reduce the level
of offensive weapons down to between 1,700 and 2,200. But he does
want to work cooperatively, productively with President Putin. And
he is, as I indicated earlier, hopeful that we will be able to send
the world a signal through a signing ceremony that the United States
and Russia have indeed entered into a new, wonderful era where we
work together, and work together well.
Q Ari, can I follow that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, Bob, we'll get back there -- there are no
hands up in between there and you, so Bob.
Q Okay, great. Ari, President Putin has said he wants this to be
a formal treaty, and Mr. Ivanov repeated that out in the stakeout.
Does President Bush think that's the best way to codify this
agreement, or does he think some other vehicle would be more
appropriate?
MR. FLEISCHER: Again, as I indicated to Kelly, lawyers, et
cetera, are still working on all that level.
Q So he's open to the idea of a treaty?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President has always been open to the form
that it would take.
Q Ari? Thank you. Former President Carter has mediated disputes
around the world. Is there any thought of sending him to the Middle
East to try and mediate between Israel and the Palestinians?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think the President is pursuing, as I mentioned
to you, in the numerous phone calls the President has had, the
numerous summit meetings the President has had, the President is
pursuing official avenues.
Q Ari, two days ago a group of environmentalists and labor unions
presented a lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco trying to at
least delay the decision of President Bush on Mexican trucks coming
to the United States. I wonder if the White House has any reaction
to that?
MR. FLEISCHER: You're asking specifically on the lawsuit?
Q Yes.
MR. FLEISCHER: I have no information on the lawsuit. That might
be something you need to talk to the Department of Justice about. I
can assure you of the President's commitment to getting a resolution
on that agreement. And I think we had some real progress made in a
proposal made through the Department of Transportation, if I recall.
Q Two questions, please. One, today Freedom House announced that
51 journalists were killed while doing their jobs around the globe,
and that doesn't include the -- in Pakistan. And Pakistan President
also announced that might tighten the freedom of the press in
Pakistan. And he just signed a referendum also. What are the
thoughts of the President -- on the referendum and also on the
freedom of the press?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think, as you heard the President say when he
was in Beijing, on the morning when he found out about the death of
Daniel Pearl, the President cares very deeply about freedom of the
press and he understands the dangers that are inherent in reporting,
particularly around the world, particularly in places where there is
violent conflict. The President takes these matters very seriously.
And he also recognizes the bravery of reporters who decide to put
themselves in harm's way, that way their viewers or their readers
can be informed about events.
Q And the second one, just to follow that. The President may have
seen the report that the former President Bill Clinton will have his
own talk show. (Laughter.) Will President Bush watch him --
(laughter.)
Q Or be a guest. (Laughter.)
Q What does he think of the idea?
MR. FLEISCHER: I will diplomatically refer you to the statement
put out by Ms. Payne, the President's -- former President's
spokeswoman. I think she has fully addressed it.
Q What does the White House think? What does this White House
think?
MR. FLEISCHER: I think this is a perfect segue to Les.
(Laughter.)
Q Actually, that was one of my questions. (Laughter.)
MR. FLEISCHER: Now you can't ask it. No, Les, and now you're down
one.
Q No, no, I was going to add that on half a question. Ari, is the
President concerned that some of the insurance companies who insured
slaves 140 years ago are now being sued as a means of obtaining
black reparations, or does he believe that there should be
consideration of statutes of limitations?
MR. FLEISCHER: Les, we've discussed this issue of reparations
numerous times, and my answer has not changed.
Q The insurance company, that's four more that have just been hit
with suits yesterday.
MR. FLEISCHER: Les, the President does not weigh in on any
matters in the private sector involving litigants.
Q What is the President's reaction to the fact that no such
concern has been expressed by these lawyers or the NAACP about the
black slavery that exists today in Mauritania and Sudan?
MR. FLEISCHER: Les, I would just refer you again to litigants.
Q Do you know anything about the Palestinians saying that Ahmed
Saadat and another top Arafat lieutenant, Fuad Shubaki are going to
be released? And the Israelis are saying, no that's part of the
Ramallah deal, they're supposed to stay in jail?
MR. FLEISCHER: I don't know.
Q Can you check on that, what the White House reaction would be
to that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me get those names from you later.
Thank you.
END 1:08 P.M. EDT
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