France has breathed life into claims of a deal between the US and Syria.

A French Foreign Ministry spokesman seemed unusually coy when asked about rumours of a deal: "I ask you to put this question to them [the US]. As for France ... we have been making consultations with [Syria] for months. But we're not in a position to confirm claims of a US-Syrian deal."

French diplomatic sources in Lebanon say that President Chirac himself has been involved in the talks.

Claims of a deal fit nicely into the otherwise inexplicable silence from Bush on Syria. His tirades were a weekly event until about a month ago.

Political sources in Lebanon say Syria has been given a six month 'grace period' to show that it is working with the UN. We lay off you for six months, and then we'll judge you - that seems to be the message. It comes after pressure on the US and France from Saudi, Egypt and the Arab League.

Meanwhile Arab League head Amr Moussa has denied reports that he has been brokering a Lebanese-Syrian deal. Lebanon would end support for a UN investigation into the Hariri killing (effectively ending the probe: the UN needs Lebanon's permission to work on their soil) in return for an end to the political killings.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt are the names of two countries who keep popping up as mediators in both of those 'deals'.

Just like the Syrian-Israeli peace talks of 2000, we wont know that they have officially been taking place until they're over.