Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that he was ready to lead peace negotiations with Israel, and that the election of a Hamas government was no obstacle. Speaking in the Norwegian capital, Abbas also said that an international conference should be called immediately for direct negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel. Abbas said he was willing to negotiate on behalf of the Palestinians and that an international group should serve as a broker, possibly the so-called “Quartet” of the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations. Full Story