WASHINGTON, Nov 2: The White House on Wednesday sounded the alarm over what it called ‘mounting evidence’ that Iran, Syria and the Hezbollah militia were ‘preparing plans to topple’ Lebanon's government.

But spokesman Tony Snow refused to provide details or even describe the information underpinning the accusation, saying it was classified and that keeping the charge vague `serves a diplomatic purpose and an important one’. We're making it clear to everybody in the region that we think that there ought to be hands off the Siniora government; let them go about and do their business,” he said, referring to Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.

Earlier, Mr Snow said in a statement that Damascus apparently hoped to derail efforts to set up an international tribunal to try those accused of taking part in the murder last year of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri.

“Any such effort to sideline the tribunal will fail, however, for the international community can proceed with establishing it no matter what happens internally in Lebanon,” said the spokesman.

“Support for a sovereign, democratic and prosperous Lebanon is a key element of US policy in the Middle East,” Snow said in a statement.

“We are therefore increasingly concerned by mounting evidence that the Syrian and Iranian governments, Hezbollah and their Lebanese allies are preparing plans to topple Lebanon's democratically elected government.”—AFP