Wikileak [19]: "Sarkozy has sought to exaggerate the Syrian role deliberately ..."

FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001162 

SUBJECT: WHY FRANCE CLAIMS SYRIA HELPED CONVINCE IRAN TO 
FREE FRENCH PRISONER ... 

SYRIAN ROLE: THE SPIN 
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¶2. (SBU) Since August 11, when a French Presidency press release first singled out Syria for appreciation, French government officials, journalists, and academics have pondered the "important" and "influential" role Syria played as "mediator" between France and Iran in the conflict surrounding the July 1 arrest by Iranian security officers of French citizen Clotilde Reiss... MFA Syria Desk Officer Patrick Durel on August 18 confirmed that President Sarkozy called Syrian President Assad August 5 to ask for his assistance .... Assad did not, however, name his interlocutor or interlocutors. "I'm doing what I can to help" was the message he sent to Paris, Durel explained. 

NEW PUBLIC POSTURE FROM ASSAD? 
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¶4. (S/NF) Richier and Durel suggested that the GOF has sought to exaggerate the Syrian role deliberately, in order to demonstrate to Syria the praise they might win for playing a constructive role in the region, and in order to create tension between Syria and Iran. And the French believe they have succeeded on both fronts. As a sign that Syrians welcomed the praise they received for playing a helpful part 
in Reiss's release, Durel cited the absence of a public denial by Assad. In the past, Assad disavowed such activity. Durel explained, for instance, that Assad had agreed in private during July of 2008 to pass a message from Paris to Tehran about the dangers of the Iranian nuclear program, but he publicly denied having done so, declaring he did not want to play the role of intermediary. Moreover, according to Richier, the French believe their reference to Syrian intervention has sewn some discomfort among the Iranians, whom the French hear from various sources want them to "stop this stupid Syria business." In advance of Assad's August 19 visit to Tehran, the French continued to tout Syria's role and encouraged him to raise the issue of Clotilde Reiss's still-pending court case....