This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 007922 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2015 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV SY LE FR
SUBJECT: GOF DECLINES TO MAKE PUBLIC APPEAL OR PRESSURE 
SARG ON KAMAL LABOWANI CASE 
 
REF: A. STATE 210390 (NOTAL) 
 
     ¶B. EMAILS ZEYA-SONTY 11/16/2005 AND 11/18/2005 
 
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: MFA contacts report the GoF is disinclined to 
make a public appeal or demarche the SARG on the arrest of 
Syrian democracy activist Kamal Labowani, citing questions 
about Labowani's character and describing the Mehlis 
investigation as a more pressing priority.  Elysee contacts 
were similarly discouraging, suggesting the GoF would comment 
on Labowani's case only if asked by the press.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Late November 18, Poloff discussed reftel talking 
points on the arrest of Syrian democracy activist Kamal 
Labowani with MFA DAS-equivalent for Egypt/Levant Herve 
Besancenot, who described the GoF as unlikely to raise the 
case publicly or approach the SARG.  Besancenot said the MFA 
had been prepared to comment on Labowani's arrest, but 
"unfortunately" no journalists had brought it up at the daily 
MFA press briefing, so the time to comment on it had passed. 
More negatively, he said the MFA would like to know more 
about Labowani, as his quality as an individual was unclear; 
for the GoF to make a public appeal, it would have to make 
sure that the individual was "incontestable" and a "person of 
quality" -- which Besancenot was not totally convinced of, in 
Labowani's case.  Besancenot recalled the arrest earlier this 
year of Egyptian oppositionist Ayman Nour, noting that the 
GoF had declined to call publicly for Nour's release, based 
on serious questions about Nour's character.  Poloff 
suggested that Besancenot should focus on the actions of the 
Syrian government and the need for the Syrian people to enjoy 
the full range of fundamental freedoms of expression and 
association, without fear of arrest or imprisonment.  Poloff 
also stressed the need to appeal for release of all political 
prisoners held by the SARG, including those jailed after the 
"Damascus Spring." 
 
¶3. (C) Besancenot summed up that although the human rights 
situation in Syria remained problematic, the GoF did not see 
the need to make an issue out of Labowani's arrest, 
particularly in the current, tense political environment. 
There were other, more immediate priorities for the GoF, such 
as the Mehlis investigation.  That said, Besancenot conceded 
it was understandable why the U.S. had made this a priority 
issue, since Labowani was arrested immediately after seeing 
U.S. officials in Washington.  Besancenot suggested that 
perhaps our embassy in Damascus should discuss the issue 
further with French counterparts in Damascus.  He opined that 
the GoF would reassess its approach on Labowani only if urged 
to do so by its embassy in Damascus, which had not 
recommended a public appeal or demarche to the SARG.  In an 
earlier, separate conversation with poloff, Elysee Middle 
East advisor Dominique Boche suggested the GoF would comment 
on Labowani's case only if asked by the press. 
 
¶4. (C) Comment: The GoF approach on Labowani is consistent 
with general GoF reluctance to press human rights cases 
publicly, even in the case of a near-pariah government like 
Damascus, and reaffirms that the GoF's overriding priority 
with respect to Syria is Lebanon, first and last.  End 
comment. 
 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
Stapleton