MIDDLE EAST: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cited what she called "firm evidence" yesterday that the Islamic Jihad militant group helped plan last week's Tel Aviv suicide bombing from Syria.
Dr Rice made the comment in an interview with ABC News as she increased pressure on Syria to cease its alleged support for both Palestinian militant groups and Iraqi insurgents and to withdraw its 14,000 troops from Lebanon.
"There is firm evidence that Palestinian Islamic Jihad, sitting in Damascus, not only knew about the attacks, but was involved in the planning," Dr Rice told ABC according to an excerpt provided by the US television network.
Friday's bombing outside a Tel Aviv nightclub killed five Israelis, shattering a de facto truce by Palestinian militant groups.
Meanwhile, Dr Rice offered to help Lebanon hold free, fair elections and hinted at the possibility of international security assistance if Syria withdraws its troops."Events in Lebanon are moving in a very important direction. The Lebanese people are starting to express their aspirations for democracy . . . This is something that we support very much," Dr Rice told reporters at a London conference on the Middle East.