For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 3, 2002
Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer
The James S. Brady Briefing Room
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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