Rice denies decision not to deal with unity govt

Rice denies decision not to deal with unity government

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has denied that the United States told Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas it would refuse to deal with the future unity government.

The top US diplomat rejected a report that a US official gave Abbas a letter indicating Washington would not recognize the new Palestinian government that includes the Islamist militant group Hamas as it did not meet key conditions.

“Oh, we have given no such letter to president Abbas,” she told Al-Arabiya Saudi television. “In fact, we have said that we will wait until the government is formed and then we’ll make a decision about how to deal with that government.”

A Palestinian official said the US Consul General in Jerusalem, Jacob Walles, signaled to Abbas at a meeting in the West Bank that Washington would not recognize the new government as it did not clearly meet key conditions.

The Middle East peace Quartet—that includes the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia—has called on the Hamas-led government to recognize Israel’s right to exist, renounce violence and accept past international agreements.

“We have made clear that the Quartet principles continue for the United States, and indeed continue now for the Quartet, to be the basis on which we would judge any government,” Rice said.

The Hamas-led government resigned Thursday after 11 months of unprecedented Palestinian crisis, allowing the creation of a unity government that is intended to end deadly violence and a Western boycott.

The announcement followed talks between Abbas, who heads the moderate Fatah party, and prime minister Ismail Haniya, who led the Hamas-led government and who will stitch together a unity cabinet with Fatah.

Rice, who leaves for the Middle East on Friday to host a rare meeting with Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said it was important for the new government to recognize past agreements.

“But it is also important to recognize that you have to renounce violence. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t say that you’re going to be part of a democracy and be part of a peace process but keep an option on violence,” she said.

Bush speaks with Olmert, Saudi king

President George W. Bush spoke with Saudi and Israeli leaders on Friday about the unity government deal, the White House said.

Bush discussed Iraq and Israeli-Palestinian developments with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, where the Palestinian groups struck the deal aimed at ending factional warfare in Gaza and easing an economic embargo on the Palestinian Authority.

He spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert about `recent developments in Palestinian political affairs` and Iran, White House National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

Bush and Olmert also discussed coming meetings of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas scheduled in Jerusalem on Monday.

Reuters contributed to the report

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