The United States remains opposed to involving Hamas in the renewed effort by the Quartet to work towards the creation of a new Arab state in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said Friday.
He also revealed that United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will attend this week's Quartet meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, along with newly appointed Middle East envoy Tony Blair, who recently resigned as British Prime Minister. American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also will attend. The Quartet is comprised of the United States, the U.N., Russia and the European Union (E.U.).