    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [January 17, 2000]
    [Pages 64-65]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Exchange With Reporters at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington
    January 17, 2000

    Israel-Syria Peace Talks

        Q. Mr. President, are the peace talks still on track?
        The President. We're working on it. That's what I've been doing this
    morning.
        Q. Who are you talking to?
        The President. Just our team, so far today.
        Q. Mr. President, the Syrians say there is an issue that needs to be
    resolved before they can come; they may not come on Wednesday. Is that
    right?
        The President. I'll probably put out something later today. I'm
    working on it, trying to make sure--we're trying to figure out what the
    most effective way to go forward is. The good news is I'm convinced they
    both still want to do it. They're not as far apart as they might be;
    they're not as far apart as they have been. So that's the good news.

    [[Page 65]]

        The difference is right now about how or what the best way to go
    forward in the--so I'm working on it. We'll try to make a decision by
    the end of the day, the next couple of days, about what the best way to
    go forward is, and we'll let you know.
        Q. Meaning a decision as to whether there will actually be talks on
    Wednesday?
        The President. Yes. The decision about what the best way is, based
    on where they both are, to take the next steps.

    Residence in Chappaqua, NY

        Q. Are you going to start doing this in Chappaqua?
        The President. If I need to. [Laughter] I've done a lot of other
    stuff. We've got a lot of work to do on that place. But it's a great
    house, and we're making progress. We did a lot of work the last few days
    when I was up there.

    President's Race Initiative Report

        Q. Mr. President, some are curious about how your book on race
    relations is coming on this Martin Luther King Day. Can you give us an
    update on that?
        The President. You know, I'm not going to put it out until I have
    lots of time personally to spend on it. I don't want it to be something
    somebody else did that my name is on. The Middle East peace talks took
    away a lot of the time that I was going to spend on it, so I'm a little
    behind. But I'm working on it.

    Note: The exchange began at 11:01 a.m. in the computer lab. A tape was
    not available for verification of the content of this exchange.