US state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland warned a power vacuum would pose a great risk to stability.

 

"The export of instability from Syria threatens the security of Lebanon now more than ever," she said.

 

Deadly clashes erupted in Beirut and Tripoli after opposition² figures blamed Syria for the attack on Gen Hassan.

 

"We support the efforts of President Michel Suleiman and other responsible leaders in Lebanon to build an effective government and to take the necessary next steps in the wake of the terrorist attack," Ms Nuland told reporters.

 

"It's up to the Lebanese people to choose a government that is going to counter this threat. In the interim³（在其间）, we don't want to see a vacuum."

 

She added that US Ambassador Maura Connelly was due to meet Lebanese politicians to discuss the possible shape of the new coalition.

 

 

Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton held talks in Beirut with President Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Tuesday.

 

She also warned against the dangers of a political vacuum and welcomed efforts to "maintain stability through national dialogue".

 

"Such acts of terrorism are designed to provoke reaction and to create tensions," Ms Ashton said.

 

The Lebanese army has been deployed⁴ to calm deadly tensions between pro- and anti-Syrian factions⁵

 

"The importance of robust⁶ state institutions that continue to ensure security and provide services cannot be understated."

 

Gen Hassan, who headed the intelligence branch of the Internal Security Forces, was killed in a car bomb blast on Friday, along with one of his bodyguards⁷ and a woman nearby.

 

The senior official was a Sunni and an outspoken⁸ critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

 

He also maintained close links to the Western-backed 14 March opposition bloc⁹ and the family of its leader, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

 

Gen Hassan's murder has led to deadly clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian factions. As a result, the Lebanese army has been deployed on the streets of Beirut and Tripoli to try to stem the violence.

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