WASHINGTON, June 2 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States and the European Union (EU) jointly condemned on Thursday the murder of a prominent journalist in Lebanon.

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

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

    Javier Solana, the EU high representative for common foreign and security policy who held talks with Rice on Thursday, said: "Iwould 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."

    Lebanese opposition figures have blamed Syria and its Lebanese allies for the death of Samir Qaseer, a journalist at Lebanon's leading daily An-Nahar, who was killed when a bomb exploded in hiscar earlier in the day in the Lebanese capital of Beirut. Syria has denied the charge. Enditem