France and the United States spearheaded a major effort Tuesday to drive Syrian troops out of embattled Lebanon and pave the way for free elections under the watchful eyes of an international force.

In a rare display of unity, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for the immediate withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and the holding of free and fair elections there.

"We fully support the Lebanese people in their pursuit of an independent, democratic and sovereign Lebanon, free of outside interference and intimidation," they said in a joint statement on the sidelines of a meeting on Palestinian reforms in London.

They said their presidents -George W. Bush and Jacques Chirac -- had "instructed us to work urgently together and with the international community to help realise that fundamental goal".

Seen to be seizing the opportunity arising from the dramatic collapse of the pro-Syrian government in Lebanon in the face of mass public protests, the foreign ministers pushed for internationally-observed elections within the first half of this year.

The Lebanese "must have the opportunity to chart their own course through free and fair parliamentary elections this spring, bolstered by an international observer presence prior to and during the elections," the ministers

said.

A US State Department official said Washington was considering helping the Lebanese government exert greater control of the country.

"We know how difficult it might be for the Lebanese government to extend its authority throughout Lebanon and we would be looking for a range of things in order to help them," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Asked whether security assistance would be part of the offer, the official said: "Well, there are various kinds of things we might do."

The United States and France sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 1559 passed last year, which calls for an end to foreign interference in Lebanon and a withdrawal of foreign troops although it stops short of mentioning Syria.

Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Syrian troops might pull out of Lebanon in the next few months, as Lebanese protesters rallied in central Beirut on Tuesday demanding Syria get out of their country.

Syria, which has 14,000 troops in Lebanon, has come under increasing pressure as a result of demonstrations following the assassination last month of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

"It (withdrawal) should be very soon and maybe in the next few months. Not after that," Assad said an interview conducted on Monday and published by Time magazine on its Web site on Tuesday.