Obama to talk with BP and nation
WASHINGTON, June 13 (UPI) -- The White House says President Obama will travel to the gulf plus address the nation this week about the BP disaster, outlining the government's next steps.
David Axelrod, senior White House adviser speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" said the president, who has been under criticism allegedly for being slow to respond to the crisis, will be in the region Monday and Tuesday and will talk to the country Tuesday.
"He wants to lay out the steps we're going to take from here to get through the crisis," Axelrod said.
The president's address is scheduled to come on the evening of a meeting with BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg and CEO Tony Hayward to figuratively hold their feet to the fire.
"Our mission here is to hold them accountable in every appropriate way, and that is what we're going to do. I'm not -- I don't consider them a partner. I don't consider them -- they're not social friends -- they are not -- I'm not looking to make judgments about their soul. I just want to make sure that they do what they're required to do," Axelrod said.
White House to demand spill 'fund' from BP
WASHINGTON, June 13 (UPI) -- The Obama administration will demand BP fund an escrow account and accept an independent panel to handle damage claims from the gulf disaster, officials say.
President Barack Obama will use a meeting with BP executives this week to call on the company to create a fund for damage claims to be "paid out under fair, efficient, and transparent procedures administered by an independent third-party panel established just for this purpose," Politico reported Sunday.
Meanwhile, the White House told BP it has until Sunday night to develop better plans to contain the gulf oil spill, The Christian Science Monitor reported.
The report said the ultimatum was sent to the British oil company in a letter Friday, but it was unclear what the administration would do if the deadline were not met.
BP already has ignored at least one administration ultimatum, the newspaper said.
The administration last month gave BP three days to switch to a less toxic and more effective chemical dispersant, but the company ignored the request, the Monitor said. The deadline passed, even though at least one chemical dispersant firm said it had enough of the alternative dispersant to supply BP.
The newspaper said BP is now collecting 650,000 gallons of oil a day with its containment cap in the Gulf of Mexico site, but the company's live cam on the ocean floor shows huge amounts of crude escaping.
BP has said its new plan to capture more of the spill won't be ready for a month.
GOP sees big House gains in November
WASHINGTON, June 13 (UPI) -- The Republican U.S. House leader said Sunday as many as 100 House seats were in play in the fall elections, which could put the GOP back into the majority.
Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the Republican strategy for November was to retake the House, and the perception that Washington spending is out of control will swing more voters to GOP candidates.
"The spending spree in Washington is continuing to run unabated," Boehner said on ABC's "This Week." "The American people are screaming at the top of their lungs, 'Stop!'"
Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said in "This Week" that Boehner may be overly optimistic. He said that while the budget deficit is a concern, most Americans were more dubious of turning off the economic stimulus, which would likely derail the fragile economic recovery.
"History says we're going to lose a few seats, but we're going to retain the House," Hoyer predicted.
U.S. ambassador denies Afghan rift
WASHINGTON, June 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Washington remained confident that Afghan President Hamid Karzi was committed to defeating the Taliban.
Ambassador Susan Rice on "Fox News Sunday" rejected media reports Karzai had lost confidence in the ability of the United States and NATO to defeat the Taliban and could try to cut his own deal with the insurgents.
"Our understanding and what we hear every day is that President Karzai remains committed to his partnership with the United States and NATO," said Rice.
The ambassador said Karzai shared the U.S. view that the Taliban and al-Qaida needed to be defeated in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan.
Rice also downplayed the slow pace of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and allegations Karzai has been dragging his feet in his role. She said the offensive in Kandahar had been slowed down to give commanders more time to shore up the support of civilians living in the region.
Arab League chief visits Gaza
GAZA, June 13 (UPI) -- The leader of the Arab League visited Gaza Sunday, the first senior Arab official to do so since Hamas took control in 2007, officials said.
The visit by league Secretary-General Amr Moussa was partly to add to the pressure on Israel to end its Gaza naval blockade, the BBC reported.
Nine Turkish activists were killed when Israeli commandos boarded a flotilla trying to break the blockade with aid supplies 31 May.
Israel and Egypt, by land, have blockaded Gaza since Hamas seized control, the BBC said.
The report said Moussa's trip is also an attempt to heal the antagonism between the militant Hamas, which controls Gaza, and the more moderate Fatah, which controls the West Bank.
KUNA, the Kuwaiti news service, said Moussa showed support for Palestinians allegedly victimized by Israeli forces, and vowed the Arab League would play a more active role in supporting the Palestinian cause.
