Washington ? The White House called off President Bush’s planned trip to Africa next month, citing the standoff with Iraq and a desire to start work on domestic priorities.

The trip will be rescheduled for later in the year, said White House press secretary Ari Fleischer.

“The president looks forward to visiting Africa in 2003 to continue building America’s partnership with the continent and to sharing firsthand with African leaders his commitment to working on issues ranging from the war on terrorism to economic development,” Fleischer said.

One senior administration official denied that security was a factor. But law enforcement sources said the Secret Service had serious concerns for the president’s safety in Africa after last month’s terrorist attacks in Kenya, for which Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network claimed responsibility.

A senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the biggest international concern was the conflict with Iraq. However, he cautioned against viewing the postponement as a signal that Bush might accelerate his decision on war with Iraq.

On Jan. 27, U.N. weapons inspectors are due to report their findings on Iraqi compliance with U.N. Security Council disarmament demands. That is the point at which Bush is expected to decide whether to proceed with a military campaign against Saddam.

On the domestic front, Bush believes he needs to spend extra attention on his agenda because of the change in GOP leadership in the Senate. Sen. Trent Lott said Friday he would not seek to remain Senate majority leader. There are also several spending bills that have not yet passed.

The official said none of the issues alone would have caused the postponement, but taken together, they convinced Bush it was a bad time to be abroad.