In a leaked 2009 diplomatic cable recently posted by Wikileaks, the top US official in Damascus warned Washington that Syrian government officials are notorious liars.

She said the hallmarks of Syrian diplomacy is "at best abrasive, and at its worst, brutal".

The cables were leaked as the International Red Cross engaged in negotiations with the Syrian government in Damascus over access to the country's detention centres to try and ensure the humane treatment of prisoners.

More than 10,000 Syrians have been imprisoned since protests calling for reforms erupted in March. Some of them have been tortured and killed, according to human rights groups.

Clayton Swisher, the head of Al Jazeera's transparency unit, explained what the US cable reveals about the Syrian government in the broader picture and what it could mean for the ICRC's ambitions in the country.

The cable was revealed as Syrian security forces continue a violent crackdown on a five-month-old peaceful protest movement that has claimed more than 2,000 lives.

The Syrian government has launched a media and diplomatic campaign aimed at smearing the uprising, calling the protesters "armed terrorists".