*EPF102 07/09/01
White House Report, July 9: MidEast, Small Arms, Immigration
(White House Press Secretary briefed in the morning, and at noon) (370)

PRESIDENT AGAIN URGES ISRAELIS, PALESTINIANS TO MAINTAIN CEASE-FIRE

President Bush "remains very concerned about the recent up-tick in the violence in the region, and he urges all parties again to do their utmost to maintain the cease-fire, as fragile as it is, and to break the cycle of violence," White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters July 9. Fleischer was responding to a question about the situation in the region.

BUSH URGES POLICY TO PREVENT TERRORISTS FROM GETTING WEAPONS

With the July 9th opening in New York of a United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons, Fleischer was asked if President Bush had any comments regarding how to prevent smuggled arms from getting into the hands of terrorists.

The Press Secretary responded: "The President is very concerned about all issues involving arms to terrorists. As you know, it's something that he and (Russian) President Putin have discussed at great length, about the problems of extremism on the border of Russia. And the President shares that concern and believes that we need to have an approach where all developed nations and developing nations work together to have a nonproliferation strategy to prevent terrorists from receiving weapons."

BUSH TO TAKE PART IN SWEARING-IN CEREMONY AT ELLIS ISLAND FOR NEW CITIZENS

President Bush travels to New York July 10 where he will "participate in a swearing-in ceremony at Ellis Island in New York's harbor, to welcome America's newest citizens," said Fleischer.

"The President is very proud of his long-standing record as being a welcoming Republican when it comes to immigration and new Americans," the Press Secretary said.

From there, he'll travel to Saint Patrick's Cathedral in the heart of the city, where he'll participate in an event in honor of the memory of Cardinal John O'Connor, the former Archbishop of New York, who died a year ago of a brain tumor at the age of 80.

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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