Carter says US Secretary Rice 'Not telling truth'

Former U.S. President Jimmy
Carter accused Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
of not telling the truth about warnings she said her department
gave Mr Carter not to speak to Hamas before a Middle East trip.

The State Department has said US Assistant Secretary of
State David Welch, the top US diplomat for the Middle East,
issued the warning before Mr Carter, a veteran of Middle East
diplomacy, went on his trip last week.

Ms Rice said in Kuwait on Tuesday: "We counselled President
Carter against going to the region and particularly against
having contact with Hamas."
"President Carter has the greatest respect for ... Rice and
believes her to be a truthful person. However, perhaps
inadvertently, she is continuing to make a statement that is
not true," a statement issued by the Carter centre in Atlanta
said.

"No one in the State Department or any other department of
the US government ever asked him (Carter) to refrain from his
recent visit to the Middle East or even suggested that he not
meet with Syrian President (Bashar) Assad or leaders of Hamas,"
it said.

It said Mr Carter attempted to call Ms Rice before making the
trip and a deputy returned his call since Ms Rice was in Europe.
"They had a very pleasant discussion for about 15 minutes,
during which he never made any of the negative or cautionary
comments described above. He never talked to anyone else," the
statement said.