Jimmy Carter accused Rice of being untruthful over remarks made about his controversial meeting with Hamas.

Rice had chided Carter for meeting with Hamas, saying U.S. State Department officials had told him such talks would not help the Middle East peace process.

But a statement from the Atlanta-based Carter Center, which speaks on the ex-president's behalf, said no one from the U.S. government told him not to meet with exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal or other leaders of the group.

"President Carter has the greatest respect for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and believes her to be a truthful person," the statement said.

"However, perhaps inadvertently, she is continuing to make a statement that is not true," it said.

According to the statement, "No one in the State Department or any other department of the U.S. government ever asked him to refrain from his recent visit to the Middle East or even suggested that he not meet with Syrian President Assad or leaders of Hamas."

Rice had said Tuesday that the United States would not deal with Hamas and "we certainly told President Carter that we didn't think meeting with Hamas was going to help the Palestinians who (are) actually devoted to peace."

HEYET Net- Agencies