Rice criticizes Carter over talks with Hamas

Secretary of State insists U.S. will not have dealings with militant group

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice criticized former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Tuesday for holding talks with Hamas and said she had advised him against it.



"We counseled President Carter against going to the region and particularly against having contact with Hamas," said Rice, adding that only Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas could be party to negotiations with Israel. "(Abbas) is the Palestinian leadership that is committed to peace."

Hamas controls the Gaza Strip and is regarded by the United States as a terror group.

Attending a regional meeting on Iraq's security and future Tuesday, Rice contradicted Carter's assertions that he never got a clear signal from the State Department. Rice told reporters that the United States thought the visit could confuse the message that the United States will not deal with Hamas.

Carter says top Hamas leaders told him during seven hours of talks in Damascus over the weekend that they are willing to live next to Israel, but a top Hamas official said the group would never outright recognize the Jewish state.

Hamas demands softened?

Meanwhile, a Hamas official on Tuesday said the militant group had softened its demands for a cease-fire with Israel.

Spokesman Ghazi Hamad said Hamas is now prepared for a partial truce that would only include the Gaza Strip.

The group previously has demanded the West Bank be included in any deal. Still, it hopes a Gaza truce will eventually spread to the West Bank as well.

In return, Hamas wants Israel and Egypt to open their trade and passenger crossings with Gaza. The border has been sealed since Hamas violently seized control of Gaza last June.