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| As Meeting With African Leaders Winds Down, Policy Issues Take the Stage | As Meeting With African Leaders Winds Down, Policy Issues Take the Stage |
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| WASHINGTON — President Obama, ending a landmark summit meeting with African leaders, said Wednesday that the United States was dispatching teams of health workers to West Africa to help contain an outbreak of the Ebola virus, but stopped short of pledging to send experimental drugs because he said he did not know enough about them. | WASHINGTON — President Obama, ending a landmark summit meeting with African leaders, said Wednesday that the United States was dispatching teams of health workers to West Africa to help contain an outbreak of the Ebola virus, but stopped short of pledging to send experimental drugs because he said he did not know enough about them. |
| “I don’t think all the information is in on whether this drug is helpful,” Mr. Obama said at a news conference, referring to experimental treatments for the virus, which has claimed nearly 1,000 lives and cast a shadow over this gathering of African leaders. | “I don’t think all the information is in on whether this drug is helpful,” Mr. Obama said at a news conference, referring to experimental treatments for the virus, which has claimed nearly 1,000 lives and cast a shadow over this gathering of African leaders. |
| “What we do know is the Ebola virus, both currently and in the past, is controllable if you have a strong public health network in place,” the president said, adding that in the hardest-hit countries, “their public health systems have been overwhelmed.” | “What we do know is the Ebola virus, both currently and in the past, is controllable if you have a strong public health network in place,” the president said, adding that in the hardest-hit countries, “their public health systems have been overwhelmed.” |
| Speaking in the State Department’s Dean Acheson Auditorium, where President John F. Kennedy once jousted with the White House press corps, Mr. Obama covered topics that included the crises in Gaza and Ukraine as well as the partisan gridlock at home, which has prompted speculation that he will move unilaterally on new immigration rules. | Speaking in the State Department’s Dean Acheson Auditorium, where President John F. Kennedy once jousted with the White House press corps, Mr. Obama covered topics that included the crises in Gaza and Ukraine as well as the partisan gridlock at home, which has prompted speculation that he will move unilaterally on new immigration rules. |
| But the president’s mind was clearly on his encounters with the nearly 50 leaders during the summit, a long-planned meeting that Mr. Obama hopes will secure his legacy as a leader concerned about Africa, but that White House officials struggled to keep from being swamped by fears about a growing public health emergency overseas. | But the president’s mind was clearly on his encounters with the nearly 50 leaders during the summit, a long-planned meeting that Mr. Obama hopes will secure his legacy as a leader concerned about Africa, but that White House officials struggled to keep from being swamped by fears about a growing public health emergency overseas. |
| Welcoming the leaders on Wednesday morning, Mr. Obama expressed solidarity with those from the countries most affected by the Ebola outbreak, saying they had “overcome great challenges, and they are drawing on the same spirit of strength and resilience today.” | Welcoming the leaders on Wednesday morning, Mr. Obama expressed solidarity with those from the countries most affected by the Ebola outbreak, saying they had “overcome great challenges, and they are drawing on the same spirit of strength and resilience today.” |
| “The United States and our international partners will continue to do whatever we can to help our African partners respond to this crisis, and to stand with the people of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone,” he said. | “The United States and our international partners will continue to do whatever we can to help our African partners respond to this crisis, and to stand with the people of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone,” he said. |
| The presidents of Liberia and Sierra Leone canceled their participation. But Guinea’s president, Alpha Conde, made it to Washington, even as the health authorities in his country announced 485 suspected and confirmed cases of the virus, including 358 deaths. | The presidents of Liberia and Sierra Leone canceled their participation. But Guinea’s president, Alpha Conde, made it to Washington, even as the health authorities in his country announced 485 suspected and confirmed cases of the virus, including 358 deaths. |
| In the end, Mr. Obama pronounced the meeting, which mixed the elaborate choreography of a diplomatic summit with the unabashed salesmanship of a trade mission, a success. | In the end, Mr. Obama pronounced the meeting, which mixed the elaborate choreography of a diplomatic summit with the unabashed salesmanship of a trade mission, a success. |
| On Wednesday, the focus shifted from trade and investment to security and governance — more delicate topics for the leaders, some of whom are facing threats from Islamic militants. Others, including some with close ties to the United States, preside over authoritarian regimes that suppress the rights of journalists, gays and other groups. | On Wednesday, the focus shifted from trade and investment to security and governance — more delicate topics for the leaders, some of whom are facing threats from Islamic militants. Others, including some with close ties to the United States, preside over authoritarian regimes that suppress the rights of journalists, gays and other groups. |
| At the news conference, Mr. Obama insisted that the United States was pushing several of the leaders to lift restrictions on the news media and, in the case of Egypt, to free three reporters for Al Jazeera, whose lengthy jail terms have set off an international outcry. The correspondents were sentenced to terms ranging from seven to 10 years for engaging in reporting that the Egyptian government said aided the Muslim Brotherhood. | |
| “We have been troubled by some of the laws that have been passed around the world that seem to restrict the ability of journalists to pursue stories or write stories,” Mr. Obama said. | “We have been troubled by some of the laws that have been passed around the world that seem to restrict the ability of journalists to pursue stories or write stories,” Mr. Obama said. |
| But Mr. Obama defended the continued engagement with leaders that have checkered human-rights records, several of whom were among the leaders who met with the president on Wednesday in a series of closed sessions at the State Department. | But Mr. Obama defended the continued engagement with leaders that have checkered human-rights records, several of whom were among the leaders who met with the president on Wednesday in a series of closed sessions at the State Department. |
| “Many times, we will work with countries even though they’re not perfect on every issue,” the president said. “We can be effective by working with them on certain areas and criticizing them, and trying to elicit improvements, in other areas.” | “Many times, we will work with countries even though they’re not perfect on every issue,” the president said. “We can be effective by working with them on certain areas and criticizing them, and trying to elicit improvements, in other areas.” |
| Turning to the crisis in Ukraine, Mr. Obama expressed concern about reports of Russian troops massing on the border but gave little indication of what he would do about it. He rejected the idea of providing arms to Ukraine, as many Republicans and some Democrats have urged, suggesting it would not alter the balance of power. | Turning to the crisis in Ukraine, Mr. Obama expressed concern about reports of Russian troops massing on the border but gave little indication of what he would do about it. He rejected the idea of providing arms to Ukraine, as many Republicans and some Democrats have urged, suggesting it would not alter the balance of power. |
| “The Russian Army’s a lot bigger than the Ukrainian Army,” he said. “The issue here is not whether the Ukrainian Army has some additional weaponry. At least up until this point, they’ve been fighting a group of separatists who have engaged in some terrible violence but who can’t match the Ukrainian Army. Now, if you start seeing an invasion by Russia, that’s a different set of questions. We’re not there yet.” | “The Russian Army’s a lot bigger than the Ukrainian Army,” he said. “The issue here is not whether the Ukrainian Army has some additional weaponry. At least up until this point, they’ve been fighting a group of separatists who have engaged in some terrible violence but who can’t match the Ukrainian Army. Now, if you start seeing an invasion by Russia, that’s a different set of questions. We’re not there yet.” |
| On Gaza, Mr. Obama said the United States would support peace talks in Cairo between Israel and the Palestinians, but said the longer-term goal had to be a plan to give the people in Gaza “a sense of hope.” | On Gaza, Mr. Obama said the United States would support peace talks in Cairo between Israel and the Palestinians, but said the longer-term goal had to be a plan to give the people in Gaza “a sense of hope.” |
| “I have no sympathy for Hamas,” he said. “I have great sympathy for ordinary people in Gaza.” | “I have no sympathy for Hamas,” he said. “I have great sympathy for ordinary people in Gaza.” |
| Mr. Obama said he was encouraged by the resolve of African countries to fight militant threats and said the United States would work with Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda to create a rapid-response unit of peacekeepers. | Mr. Obama said he was encouraged by the resolve of African countries to fight militant threats and said the United States would work with Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda to create a rapid-response unit of peacekeepers. |
| The summit lured an infrequent visitor back to the capitol, former President George W. Bush, who rallied world leaders behind a public health campaign to conquer killer diseases in Africa and to forecast what he called “the beginning of the end of AIDS.” | The summit lured an infrequent visitor back to the capitol, former President George W. Bush, who rallied world leaders behind a public health campaign to conquer killer diseases in Africa and to forecast what he called “the beginning of the end of AIDS.” |
| Speaking at a daylong forum on education and health issues at the Kennedy Center, Mr. Bush promoted a new chapter in the battle against AIDS. The effort could be focused with better data, better treatment options and better prevention approaches to “reach and help the highest-risk regions and groups,” he told the gathering, which was co-hosted by his public policy institute, the State Department and Michelle Obama. | Speaking at a daylong forum on education and health issues at the Kennedy Center, Mr. Bush promoted a new chapter in the battle against AIDS. The effort could be focused with better data, better treatment options and better prevention approaches to “reach and help the highest-risk regions and groups,” he told the gathering, which was co-hosted by his public policy institute, the State Department and Michelle Obama. |
| “Applied with clear goals and accountability,” he said, “this saturation approach presents an amazing opportunity — the beginning of the end of AIDS.” | “Applied with clear goals and accountability,” he said, “this saturation approach presents an amazing opportunity — the beginning of the end of AIDS.” |