*EPF401 07/03/2003
White House Again Says Liberia's President Must Leave
(White House Report, July 3: Liberia, Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas) (410)

Asked about the situation in Liberia, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters early July 3 that President Bush "is focused on what is the most effective way to bring peace and stability to Liberia, and that is for Charles Taylor to depart."

Taylor has "looted the country. He's been a force for instability. He's pitted faction against faction. His departure will have a stabilizing effect," Fleischer said.

It's important for him to "leave and leave quickly," but Fleischer would not give a timetable, saying, "I'm not going to rule anything out on the timing."

On the question of whether the United States will send troops to Liberia, Fleischer said "There's nothing new to report. No decision has been made. This is a matter that will continue" to be reviewed, he said.

Bush "is going about this in a deliberative manner. He will go about this in a manner that focuses on achieving the mission, which is to provide stability and peace to Liberia. He will not be guided by artificial timetables," Fleischer said.

BUSH THANKS ABBAS FOR "STRONG LEADERSHIP"

President Bush called Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas the morning of July 3 to thank him for the "strong leadership that he is showing," Fleischer said.

Bush "noted how the last several weeks have been marked by strong will and inspired leadership. The president urged the prime minister to continue to stay in touch and work with the people who are in the region sent for the purpose of implementing the way forward to achieving a vision of a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinian Authority," said Fleischer.

Ambassador John Wolf, U.S. coordinator for implementation of the road map to peace in the Middle East, is in the region, Fleischer pointed out, and said Bush urged Abbas to work with him.

"The president also thanked Prime Minister Abbas and expressed his appreciation for the arrest that the Palestinian Authority has made of one of the individuals' responsible for a rocket attack into Israel from the Gaza Strip, said Fleischer.

"The president stressed that it is important for the Palestinian Authority to have a 'no nonsense' approach to security," Fleischer said. "The president concluded by thanking him again for his strong leadership and stated he looks forward to continuing to work with him."

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

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