Carter embraces senior Hamas figure

Ramallah, West Bank: Former US President Jimmy Carter on Tuesday warmly embraced a leading Hamas figure in the West Bank and laid a wreath at the grave of Yasser Arafat, further antagonising Israel as he pushed forward with his latest Mideast peace mission.

At a reception in the West Bank town of Ramallah organised by Carter's office, the former president hugged Nasser Shair, a senior Hamas politician, meeting participants said.

"He gave me a hug. We hugged each other, and it was a warm reception," Shair said. "Carter asked what he can do to achieve peace between the Palestinians and Israel ... and I told him the possibility for peace is high," said Shair, who served as deputy prime minister and education minister in the Hamas-led Palestinian government

In another break with US policy, Carter placed a wreath yesterday at Arafat's grave. The Bush administration snubbed Arafat, blaming him for the breakdown of peace talks.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Carter's meetings with Hamas 'dignified' a group committed to Israel's destruction. "One cannot but wonder how this attitude is supposed to promote peace and understanding," he said.

Carter, who stressed he was not acting as a negotiator or a mediator, said he hoped "just as a communicator" to relay to "leaders of the United States" what Hamas and Syria have to say.

Carter said he would use his meeting with Khalid Mesha'al to 'get him to agree to a peaceful resolution of differences, both with the Israelis ... and also with Fatah".