Syria received specific guidance from a private communications company on how to fight back in a massive media battle launched by the West, a fresh leak of Syria-linked files has revealed. But that war was lost the day it began.

Global communications firm Brown Lloyd James gave the Syrian government advice on exactly how to regain the trust of the US Administration, as well as its own public. This is evidenced by an e-mail from the firm to the government that was sent in May 2011, and was recently released as part of the “Syria Files.”

Noting that the US Administration had reached a pivotal point on its stance on the crisis Syria, the e-mail underscores the importance of launching a public and visible “reform” program to address the grievances and demands of ordinary Syrians.