Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cited what she called ?firm evidence? that the Islamic Jihad militant group helped plan last week?s Tel Aviv suicide bombing from Syria. Rice made the comment in an interview with ABC News as she ratcheted up 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,? 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 and casting a shadow over Tuesday?s conference in London supporting Palestinian security and government reforms.?There is evidence that Islamic Jihad, headquartered in Syria, was in fact involved with the planning of those attacks in Tel Aviv. And so the Syrians have a lot to answer for,? Rice told ABC. ?We don?t know the degree of Syrian involvement, but certainly what is happening on the territory of Syria, in and around Damascus, is clearly threatening to the different kind of Middle East we?re trying to grow,? she added.

Syria denies involvement, but many Lebanese blame Damascus for the assassination, which has sparked two weeks of protests that caused Lebanon?s Syrian-backed government to resign on Monday. While the United States has threatened the possibility of fresh diplomatic and economic sanctions against Syria, Rice made clear she felt the international pressure on Damascus was sufficient for now.

?This is a long list of concerns about a Syria that is standing in the way of Lebanese, Iraqis, Palestinians and others in their aspirations for a better world,? Rice told a news conference. ?At this point in time we believe that we have done what we need to do,? she said.Saying Lebanon must be free of Syrian ?contaminating influences,? Rice offered to help Lebanon hold free and fair elections and hinted at the possibility of international security assistance if Syria withdrew its 14,000 troops.

Syria has recently said it is willing to redeploy its troops to the Bekaa Valley near the border in line with the Taif agreement that ended Lebanon?s 1975-90 civil war. Beirut and Damascus then have to agree on a timetable for full withdrawal.In an example of coordinated diplomatic pressure, Rice and French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier issued a joint statement repeating a United Nations-backed call for Syria to pull out.

Asked if there had been any discussion of deploying UN troops to prevent a security vacuum in Lebanon should the Syrians leave, Rice said there had not but suggested security assistance might be possible.

<B>Arshad MOHAMMED</B>

?ROAD MAP? FOR PEACE

<B>Blair concerned over Syria</B>

■ The world is watching Syria closely after last week?s Tel Aviv suicide bombing, and Damascus must meet ?certain obligations? at a time of change in the Middle East, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said. ?The concerns over Syria are well known,? Blair said in an interview with the Guardian newspaper published yesterday, adding to US diplomatic pressure on Damascus. ?I think they have to realise that the international community is looking at Syria very closely at the moment ... For Syria, it is important to realise that the international community expects certain obligations to be undertaken and adhered to.?

Blair stopped short of explicitly linking Syria to the suicide bombing.A top US commander in the Middle East accused Syria on Tuesday of not doing enough to stop foreign fighters from crossing its border into Iraq. Blair, who hosted a meeting of international political leaders on Tuesday to discuss Palestinian reforms, urged the international community to push for change in the Middle East. ?There is a genuine ... ripple of change at the moment,? Blair said. ?But it is happening throughout the Middle East and it is important that we encourage it because it is out of (the Middle East) that so many of the issues that we grapple with in the international community arise.? The London meeting, attended by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan as well as Arab and European foreign ministers, told Israelis and Palestinians they must meet their obligations under the US-backed ?road map? for peace. Blair?s critics have accused him of using the event to try to improve his image before an election expected in early May.