Associated Press

                 WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is studying former President
                 Carter's request to travel to Cuba this year. If he gets the green light, the White
                 House wants Carter to push for human rights, a spokesman said.

                 The Treasury Department, which issues permits for Cuba travel, is
                 considering the matter, said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.

                 Under provisions that restrict travel to Cuba, people seeking to visit the country
                 for humanitarian purposes need to get permission from the Treasury
                 Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, a department spokeswoman
                 said. Applicants must write a letter and provide information, details and
                 documentation about the trip in order to get permission.

                 The spokeswoman said she did know the status of Carter's request.

                 ``The law is clear, the law will be obeyed,'' Fleischer said Monday.

                 Fleischer said President Bush would want Carter to carry a ``very direct,
                 straightforward message'' to the Cuban leadership. ``In order to have human
                 rights in Cuba, it's important for Fidel Castro to allow democracy to take root, to
                 stop repression, to stop imprisonments, to bring freedom to the people of
                 Cuba,'' Fleischer said.

                 A Carter spokeswoman said over the weekend that the former president
                 received an invitation to visit Cuba from Castro.

                 Carter said Friday he expects the Bush administration's ``tacit approval, not
                 their blessing.'' He wants to talk about expanding trade and tourism, he said.