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02 December 2003

Bush, Mubarak Discuss Israeli/Palestinian Situation and Iraq, December 2, 2003

(White House Report, Dec. 2: Phone call with Mubarak, steel tariffs)

President Bush discussed by telephone the morning of December 2 the Israeli/Palestinian and Iraqi situations with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters.

He briefed them on Air Force One as they traveled with the president on a day trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

"President Mubarak noted that he had met earlier today with [U.S.] Assistant Secretary of State [William] Burns, who is in the region to talk about moving forward with discussions between the government of Israel and the new Palestinian cabinet. And that was pretty much a summary of the call," said McClellan.

Burns is "working on ways to move forward on discussions between the government of Israel and the new Palestinian cabinet. And so we continue to remain actively engaged in working with the parties to move forward on the road map that was agreed to by a number of entities and countries," McClellan said.

"[W]e continue to believe that the best path forward toward realizing the president's vision, of two states living side by side in peace and security, is the road map. And we've always said that discussions by private citizens or entities can be useful, but that the best path forward to realizing the president's vision is the road map," the press secretary said, when asked to comment on an unofficial peace agreement negotiated in Geneva by an unofficial delegation of Israelis and Palestinians, who, he said, will be in Washington later in the week.

McClellan said "there may be some meetings" with the group at the State Department, but he told reporters to check with the State Department for specifics on that subject.

WHITE HOUSE SAYS BUSH HAS NOT YET DECIDED TO LIFT TARIFFS ON STEEL

The president "still has not made a decision; it remains under review," on whether to lift the U.S. tariffs he placed on some foreign-made steel imports in March 2002, McClellan said. The tariffs are not set to expire until March 2005 but Bush can terminate them before that.

"[W]e have been listening to producers, to consumers, to members of Congress and others, about their views on the issue. And the president has visited with people during various events across the country about this issue, that have expressed their views. The president still has not made a decision; it remains under review. I expect he will have a decision -- or make a decision in due course," McClellan said.

The World Trade Organization in November ruled the tariffs illegal under WTO rules, and allowed the European Union and other trading partners to retaliate against U.S. export goods.