The United Nations, United States, European Union (EU) and other international organizations on Thursday condemned the killing of Lebanese journalist Samir Qaseer.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Kofi Annan strongly condemned the murder.

"The secretary-general calls on the Lebanese government to bring to justice the perpetrators and the instigators of today's terrible crime and to ensure an end to impunity and the continuation of press freedom," said Dujarric.

According to the spokesman, Annan also expressed his condolences to the families of both Qaseer and another victim and urged all Lebanese parties to preserve national unity and calm during this important electoral period.

The United States and the EU jointly condemned the killing.

"It's a heinous act. Obviously someone is trying to intimidate the Lebanese people as they move through this electoral cycle," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

"We don't know who is responsible for it but I really do hope that Mr. (Prime Minister Nagib) Mikati carries through on his pledge earlier that there will be a full investigation to get to the bottom of it," Rice said.

Javier Solana, the EU high representative for common foreign and security policy who held talks with Rice on Thursday, said: "I would like on behalf of everybody here to condemn it. It is a tragedy ... We do not know who is responsible, but whatever is responsible should be found as responsible and condemned."

The Arab Journalists Union also condemned the assassination of Qaseer.

The assassins are aimed at causing chaos in Lebanon and intimidating journalists by killing Qaseer, the organization said in a statement.

It called for an end to violence that targets journalists and attempts to prevent them from undertaking their duties.

Meanwhile, Egypt's Syndicate of Journalists voiced grave disapproval of the killing.

The syndicate's committee of Arab and foreign affairs expressed deep sorrow over such a "heinous" crime, saying the incident does not target the life of a journalist but the Lebanese people in general.

Qaseer, a 45-year-old journalist at Lebanon's leading daily An-Nahar, was killed Thursday when a bomb exploded in his car in the mainly Christian eastern area in Beirut. The blast came just four days after the start of the country's parliamentary elections.

Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati vowed Thursday to take all necessary measures to investigate the killing of Qaseer.

Shortly after the bombing, Mikati presided over a meeting attended by the ministers of justice, interior, information and defense. He said the authorities were still collecting information about the murder and state prosecutors have been instructed to invoke all judicial powers to nab the killers.

Opposition figures quickly blamed Syria and its Lebanese allies for the death of Qaseer, and called for the resignation of President Emile Lahoud, who is seen as an ally of Damascus. They also called for a general strike on Friday to mourn Qaseer.

Syria on Thursday rejected the accusations that it was behind the killing.

"A source at the Information Ministry strongly denounced some Lebanese media and political figures who rushed as usual to accuse Syria," the official SANA news agency said.

"This affirms their pre-determined anti-Syrian stances ... seeking to satisfy the enemies of Syria, Lebanon and all Arabs in general," SANA quoted the source as saying.

Syria also denied the charge that it was involved in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in February, which prompted mass pressure on Damascus to withdraw its troops from Lebanon in April after a 29-year presence.

(Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2005)