Syria Files - Fwd: Syria visit

The Syria Files,
files released so far...
260
The Syria Files

### Index pages

List of Releases

### by Date of Document

2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

### by Date of Release

2012-07-05
2012-07-06
2012-07-08
2012-07-09
2012-07-10
2012-07-11
2012-07-15
2012-07-16
2012-07-17
2012-07-18
2012-07-19
2012-07-22
2012-07-25
2012-07-28
2012-07-29
2012-08-01
2012-08-03
2012-08-17

### Media Publishing

Al Akhbar - Lebanon
Al Masry Al Youm - Egypt
L'Espresso - Italy
NDR/ARD - Germany
Owni - France
Publico.es - Spain

### Community resources

Supporters Support Wikileaks Follow us on Twitter Twitter this Follow us on Facebook

courage is contagious

# The Syria Files

Thursday 5 July 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing the Syria Files – more than two million emails from Syrian political figures, ministries and associated companies, dating from August 2006 to March 2012. This extraordinary data set derives from 680 Syria-related entities or domain names, including those of the Ministries of Presidential Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Information, Transport and Culture. At this time Syria is undergoing a violent internal conflict that has killed between 6,000 and 15,000 people in the last 18 months. The Syria Files shine a light on the inner workings of the Syrian government and economy, but they also reveal how the West and Western companies say one thing and do another.

## Fwd: Syria visit

Released on 2012-07-28 06:00 GMT

Email-ID | 2100298
Date | 2008-04-19 21:10:59
From | ruba.darwish@mopa.gov.sy
To | rose.issa@mopa.gov.sy

----- Forwarded message from PForbes@Bell-Pottinger.co.uk ----- Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:21:48 +0100 From: Patrick Forbes
Bell-Pottinger.co.uk> Reply-To: Patrick Forbes
Bell-Pottinger.co.uk> Subject: Syria visit To: ruba.darwish@mopa.gov.sy Dear Ruba, It was excellent to speak with you earlier today, and I am really glad to hear that everything is going so well! Allah ya'tiki al-afieh! I will be travelling to Damascus on
Wednesday 23rd with colleagues from the Doha Debates. The Doha Debates tackle the hottest issues in the Arab and Islamic worlds each month and are chaired by Tim Sebastian, former presenter of the BBC's HardTalk programme. They are now in their 4th
series. The Debates are hosted and funded by Qatar Foundation which is headed by Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned. Sheikha Mozah has just won this year's Chatham House Prize. We sell the broadcast rights to BBC World who have broadcast the Doha
Debates since January 2005. We are now the top rated weekend programme on BBC World. I have attached some more information on the Debates. We have taken the Debates to Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the UK, where we debated whether Britain's role in
the Middle East is in terminal decline, and then whether the pro-Israel lobby was stiffling open debate about Israel in the West. Since one of our key objectives is to present an Arab view on the seminal issues of the day Sheikha Mozah is understandable
keen to hold one in an Arab country. The purpose of our trip to speak with Dr Mohsen Bilal, Dr Buthaina Shaaban and other officials to request an invitation to hold a special debate in Damascus, which many people ( me included! ) consider to be the
intellectual and cultural capital of the Arab World. If it is at all possible it would be very good to call upon H.E the First Lady on either Thursday 25th or Friday 26th to present our thoughts, and for me personally to pay a courtesy call in general
having spent such a wonderful time last year working with your office. I would be joined by Tim Sebastian ( Chairman and Presenter ) and Ali Willis ( Series Producer ). Patrick Forbes Associate Director Bell Pottinger Middle East Qatar Financial Centre PO
Box 23245 Doha Qatar Qatar Mob: +974 5885345 UK Mob:+ 44 7768640406 UAE Mob: +971 507241838 Fax: + 971 4 390 8109 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE AND LEGAL LIABILITY WAIVER: The
content of this email and any attachments are CONFIDENTIAL and may contain privileged information. If you are not the addressee it may be UNLAWFUL for you to read, copy, distribute, disclose or otherwise use the information contained herein. The content
of the message and or attachments may not reflect the view and opinions of the originating company or any party it is representing. If you are NOT the intended recipient then please email back to itsupport@chime.plc.uk ------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------ ----- End forwarded message ----- ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.
Dear Ruba,
It was excellent to speak with you earlier today, and I am really glad to hear that everything is going so well! Allah ya'tiki al-afieh!
I will be travelling to Damascus on Wednesday 23rd with colleagues from the Doha Debates.
The Doha Debates tackle the hottest issues in the Arab and Islamic worlds each month and are chaired by Tim Sebastian, former presenter of the BBC's HardTalk programme. They are now in their 4th series.
The Debates are hosted and funded by Qatar Foundation which is headed by Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned. Sheikha Mozah has just won this year’s Chatham House Prize. We sell the broadcast rights to BBC World who have broadcast the Doha Debates since
January 2005. We are now the top rated weekend programme on BBC World. I have attached some more information on the Debates.
We have taken the Debates to Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the UK, where we debated whether Britain's role in the Middle East is in terminal decline, and then whether the pro-Israel lobby was stiffling open debate about Israel in the West.
Since one of our key objectives is to present an Arab view on the seminal issues of the day Sheikha Mozah is understandable keen to hold one in an Arab country. The purpose of our trip to speak with Dr Mohsen Bilal, Dr Buthaina Shaaban and other officials
to request an invitation to hold a special debate in Damascus, which many people ( me included! ) consider to be the intellectual and cultural capital of the Arab World.
If it is at all possible it would be very good to call upon H.E the First Lady on either Thursday 25th or Friday 26th to present our thoughts, and for me personally to pay a courtesy call in general having spent such a wonderful time last year working
with your office. I would be joined by Tim Sebastian ( Chairman and Presenter ) and Ali Willis ( Series Producer ).
Patrick Forbes
Associate Director
Bell PottingerMiddle East
Qatar Financial Centre
PO Box 23245
Doha
Qatar
Qatar Mob: +974 5885345
UK Mob:+ 44 7768640406
UAE Mob: +971 507241838
Fax: + 971 4 390 8109
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE AND LEGAL LIABILITY WAIVER: The content of this email and any attachments are CONFIDENTIAL and may contain privileged information. If you are not the addressee it may be UNLAWFUL for you to read, copy, distribute, disclose or
otherwise use the information contained herein. The content of the message and or attachments may not reflect the view and opinions of the originating company or any party it is representing.
If you are NOT the intended recipient then please email back to itsupport@chime.plc.uk
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------