Mubarak tells Rice to give Hamas "a chance"

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday told visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the radical Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) should be given "a chance" after the group swept the Palestinian parliamentary elections last month.

The United States, which considers Hamas as a terrorist organization, has urged the group to renounce violence, recognize Israel's right to exist and accept all Palestinian-Israeli agreements before taking power or face a cutoff in aid to the new Hamas-led Palestinian government.

"Hamas should be given a chance to assess the current situation and make clear its stances," Mubarak was quoted as saying during a meeting with Rice by presidential spokesman Soliman Awad.

Mubarak also asked Washington to maintain support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) even if a Hamas-led government took office, according to the spokesman.

Abbas appointed senior Hamas leader Ismail Haneya as new prime minister on Tuesday, asking him to form the next Palestinian cabinet.

Egypt, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, shares Washington's concerns about the hardline position of Hamas, but appears unwilling to exert substantial pressure against the group.

Instead, Egypt called for patience to give Hamas more time to transform from a militant group to a major player in Palestinian politics.

Source: Xinhua