*EPF103 04/26/2004
White House Report, April 26: Iraq, China, Russia, Jordan, Nominations
(Standoff in Fallujah, U.S. urges China follow "Basic Law" in Hong Kong, Bush calls leaders in Russia and Jordan, Ambassador nominations) (820)

COALITION, IRAQI SECURITY TROOPS WORKING CLOSELY

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters April 26 as they accompanied President Bush on a trip to Minnesota that the coalition continues to work closely with Iraqi security forces to improve the security situation in Fallujah.

According to news reports, A U.S. marine and eight insurgents were killed April 26 in the Sunni stronghold of Fallujah even though a cease-fire was declared more than two weeks ago. Fierce fighting broke out in Fallujah just as tensions appeared to be easing with an agreement to restart joint U.S.-Iraqi patrols.

Asked if Bush planned to order combat with the insurgents, the press secretary said, "He participated in a conference call on Saturday with his National Security Council and talked about Iraq."

"In terms of security, there is still a need for coalition forces to work with Iraqis to improve the security situation," he said.

"The coalition forces will remain in Iraq for some time after the transfer of sovereignty. But at the end of June, the Coalition Provisional Authority will cease to exist, and sovereignty will be transferred to an interim, representative body," the spokesman said.

"That is what U.N. Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has been working to address," McClellan said, "He will be returning in May with some more specifics to that interim body, and they will serve in that interim period before elections are held under the schedule laid out in the transitional administrative law."

Reporters questioned the press secretary about the April 25 bombing of an oil instillation in Basra, McClellan said, "It has all the hallmarks of al Qaeda-type terrorists or the tactics that Zarqawi outlined in his letter that was intercepted by coalition forces. But they will not prevail."

"And the Iraqi security forces will continue to play an increasing role in helping to improve the security situation," the press secretary said.

U.S. URGES CHINA TO ADHERE TO "BASIC LAW" IN HONG KONG

"Our position is very clear: that it's important to adhere to the basic law that was agreed to," the White House spokesman said of news that the Chinese government had banned direct election in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's constitution, the Basic Law, holds out the possibility that ordinary residents can elect their next leader in 2007 and all lawmakers by 2008. But earlier this month the Chinese National People's Congress Standing Committee ruled that Beijing would have to give advance approval for any political changes.

According to news reports, many people in Hong Kong demanded the right to democratically elect a successor to their chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, a former shipping tycoon chosen for his position by an 800-member Chinese government committee. But the Standing Committee said April 26 that "universal suffrage shall not apply" to the selection of Tung's successor in 2007.

"We continue to stand on the side of democratic reforms, as outlined in the basic law," McClellan said.

BUSH CALLS PUTIN AND ABDULLAH

The White House spokesman told reporters that President Bush called Russia's President Vladimir Putin to say that he looked forward to seeing Putin at the June 6 D-Day celebration in France.

In addition, he said, "the president talked about the importance of a new United Nations Security Council resolution," McClellan said, "The two leaders also discussed the Middle East, and the president talked about the importance of the road map to achieving the two-state vision that he's outlined."

The spokesman noted that the presidents also discussed the political situation in Georgia.

McClellan also said that Bush spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan and that he looked forward to Abdullah's upcoming visit to Washington D.C.

BUSH TO NOMINATE ENVOYS TO SWAZILAND, JORDAN

The president intends to nominate James David McGee to be ambassador to the Republic of Madagascar. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Ambassador McGee currently serves as Chief of Mission to the Kingdom of Swaziland. He previously served as Counselor for Administrative Affairs in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Prior to this position, Ambassador McGee served as Counselor for Administrative Affairs and Chief of the Administrative Section in Kingston, Jamaica.

The president intends to nominate David Michael Satterfield to be ambassador to Jordan. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Ambassador Satterfield currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department. He previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon. Earlier in his career, Ambassador Satterfield served on the National Security Council as Director for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs. In addition, he also served as Director of the State Department's Office of Israel and Arab-Israeli Affairs.

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

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