Hamas ready for talks with new US president, says Mesha'al

Amman: The exiled political supremo of Hamas, Khalid Mesha'al, said his Palestinian Islamist movement is ready to hold talks with any elected US president, in an interview published on Tuesday.

"Hamas is ready for dialogue with any incoming US president ... Democrat [Barak] Obama or Republican [John] McCain," Mesha'al told Jordan's Al Arab Al Yawm daily.

"I am confident that we are ready to deal with any presidential candidate, but we will always stick to our rights. We acknowledge that the United States is powerful, but we are more powerful on our territory," he said.