[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: GEORGE W. BUSH (2001, Book I)]
[June 20, 2001]
[Pages 704-705]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Easter Seals Representatives and an 
Exchange With Reporters
June 20, 2001

    The President. It's an honor for me to welcome the representatives 
from the Easter Seals here, two courageous Americans who are 
compassionate to give back to their country, and it's an honor to have 
you all in the Oval Office. Thanks for coming.

Situation in the Middle East

    Q. Have you talked to Arafat yet?
    The President. I talked to Chairman Arafat 
today.
    Q. What can you tell us about that conversation?
    The President. I told him--I talked to him about--I talked to Prime 
Minister Sharon, Mubarak, as well as Mr. Arafat. And I 
said we're making some progress and that they all must continue to work 
toward breaking the cycle of violence.
    I do feel like it's the appropriate time for Colin Powell to go to the Mideast--and he's headed there next 
week--and that the parties must continue to work in an all-out effort to 
bring peace. And people can find excuses or rationale not to continue to 
work to break the cycle of violence. I urged them just to not think that 
way, to believe in the possible. And we're making enough progress for me 
to feel comfortable about asking the Secretary of State to go.
    We have another mission from our Government to remain involved in 
the process. We look forward to the implementation of Mitchell. But it's 
hard--we cannot start

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Mitchell, the Mitchell plan, until the cycle of violence has been 
crushed and broken. And we believe we are making enough progress with 
that to send the Secretary of State.
    Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 3:03 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Chairman Yasser Arafat of the 
Palestinian Authority; Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel; and 
President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. The President also referred to the 
Report of the Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee, chaired by former 
Senator George J. Mitchell, issued April 30. A tape was not available 
for verification of the content of these remarks.