French Condemnation of Syrian Crackdown

I recently read a short article in a Dubai newspaper about France’s condemnation of human rights violations in Syria:  http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/September/international_September775.xml&section=international&col=

According to the article, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe spoke out against the Syrian government for  “crimes against humanity” and against the UN for its complacency throughout the Syrian crackdown.  The heightened rhetoric used by French govt. officials suggests that France may take leadership in dealing with Syria, just as it did during the NATO-supported operations in Libya.  As France re-enters into post-colonial spaces in the Middle East,  I am left with several questions about the future of the region:

1.  Has France ever really “left” its former spheres of influence in an appreciable way?

2.  Could France’s growing involvement in the Middle East signal a willingness to potentially broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord?