U.S. cuts off contacts with Hamas-led government

At the same time, U.S. President George W. Bush expressed support for the Palestinian people but repeated his position no U.S. funds should go to the Hamas leadership they elected.

"I think that aid should go to suffering Palestinians, but nor should it go to a government, however, which has expressed its desire to destroy its neighbor," Bush said during a question-and-answer session after he delivered a speech on Iraq.

Hamas is formally committed to the destruction of Israel and is classed by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization. It won a landslide victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections in January.

"We support the election process, we support democracy, but that doesn't mean we have to support governments that get elected as a result of democracy," Bush said.

"I weep about the suffering of the Palestinians," Bush said, but added the Hamas-led government had to make a choice.

The United States hopes to isolate Hamas and pressure it to recognize Israel, renounce violence and abide by peace accords. So far, the Islamic militant group has refused, although its leaders have said they would continue to observe a cease-fire with Israel.

A directive, distributed to U.S. diplomats and other officials in the region by e-mail, instructed them with immediate effect not to have contacts with Hamas-appointed government ministers or those who work for them, whether they are members of the group or not, officials said.

"We will not have contact with members of Hamas, no matter what title they may have," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

He said the directive was intended to ensure that U.S. diplomats and officials around the world knew how to deal with Palestinian officials with whom they might come into contact.

McCormack said the United States would also examine its contacts with the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian diplomats around the world.

The no-contact policy was more sweeping than many had expected because it applies not just to Hamas members but to independents and technocrats in the new government.

MANY PROGRAMS AFFECTED

The cutoff could affect a wide range of U.S. programs, including security coordination with the Interior Ministry, officials said.

Contacts will still be permitted with President Mahmoud Abbas, his office and non-Hamas members of the Palestinian parliament, officials said.

The policy took effect when Abbas swore in a Hamas government at a ceremony in Gaza. Hamas's 24-member Cabinet is dominated by Hamas loyalists, but includes a few independents.

A U.S. official said independents and technocrats were included in the ban because they were invited to join the government by a Hamas prime minister and took office after a vote of confidence by a Hamas-led parliament.

Officials said the no-contact policy applied to all parts of the U.S. government, as well as to organizations that receive U.S. funding for projects and services in the Palestinian territories.

U.S. law bars the government from providing direct assistance to any group on the State Department's list of terrorist organizations.

Israel has frozen tax revenue transfers to the Palestinian Authority and has banned contacts with Hamas officials but has yet to spell out its policy on lower-level contacts with technocrats. An Israeli official said the issue would be discussed during a Cabinet meeting on Sunday.

(Additional reporting by Adam Entous in Jerusalem and JoAnne Allen in Washington)

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