PARIS, Feb 14 (AFP) - Leaders from the White House to the Gaza Strip on Monday condemned the bomb blast in central Beirut that killed former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri, with France calling for an international probe.
US President George W. Bush's administration, condemning the "brutal attack" that killed Hariri and at least nine other people, used the opportunity to tell Syria to withdraw its 14,000 troops from neighboring Lebanon.
"This murder today is a terrible reminder that the Lebanese people must be able to pursue their aspirations and determine their own political future free from violence and intimidation and free from Syrian occupation," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
The assassination came at a time of high political tension in Lebanon, with legislative elections due in a few months, and as international pressure mounts over Syria's dominant presence in Lebanese domestic affairs.
While McClellan said he did not know who was responsible for the explosion, Israel pointed the finger at Damascus, with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom hinting that hardline groups supported by Syria could be involved.
"I cannot say for certain that Syria is behind the attack but there are many groups which could have carried it out," Shalom told Israeli radio from Paris, where he met with French President Jacques Chirac.
The Israeli foreign minister said there was "no doubt that Syria... is uncomfortable with the prospect of elections in Lebanon, and the last thing they want is to be forced to leave Lebanon."
Chirac called for an investigation.
"France strongly condemns this crime. It asks that an international inquiry be launched without delay to determine the circumstances of this tragedy and who is responsible," Chirac's office said in a statement.
Across the Middle East, officials expressed concern about Lebanon's stability, with Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa saying: "I hope we will all contribute to maintaining peace and security in Lebanon."
Lebanon's pro-Syrian president Emile Lahoud said his political foe had died a "martyr for a united Lebanon", ordering three days of mourning and a state funeral for Hariri.
In Damascus, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad condemned the assassination as a "terrible criminal act" and voiced solidarity with "brotherly Lebanon in this dangerous situation".
He urged the Lebanese people "to reinforce their national unity and reject all those who aim to cause trouble and sow division among the people," the official Syrian news agency SANA said.
Syria's main regional ally Iran also expressed concern about the fallout of what it condemned as a "terrorist act" -- and pointed the finger at Israel.
"An organized terrorist structure such as the Zionist regime has the capacity for such an operation whose aim is to undermine the unity of Lebanon," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.
Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina described the deadly blast as "a crime against the Lebanese people and a blow to the stability of Lebanon, a country for whom we have a lot of time and respect."
Tributes poured in for Hariri, a political veteran who resigned four months ago, with France honoring "the man who personified the unshakeable willingness to pursue independence, freedom and democracy in Lebanon."
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana hailed Hariri as "a man of peace and a great friend" who had been able to "put an end to years of war in Lebanon and rebuild the country".
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf called Hariri a "great statesman", saying he had "worked hard to strengthen relations between Pakistan and Lebanon."
The explosion, apparently caused by a car bomb, devastated a busy seafront area in the center of the Lebanese capital, in a scene reminiscent of the country's civil war.
Around 100 people were wounded, hospital sources said.

02/14/2005 17:43 GMT - AFP