Kuwait - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday criticized former US president Jimmy Carter for going ahead with talks with members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas despite Washington's explicit warning.

Speaking to reporters in Kuwait at a regional meeting on Iraq, Rice said the US rejected any dealing with Hamas.

"The United States is not going to deal with Hamas and we certainly told president Carter that we did not think meeting with Hamas was going to help the Palestinians," Rice said.

Carter, who was trying to involve the Palestinian group in the ongoing Middle East peace process, held talks with its leaders in Cairo and Damascus last week.

The former president said the US State Department did not advise him against holding talks with Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. (dpa)