Cecilia Sarkozy finally broke the ambiguous silence over her role in the release of six Bulgarian medics from Libya, attributing her success to nothing but her noble and humane intentions.

Senior members of the French opposition insisted last month that Mme Sarkozy should be forced to appear before the investigation, which was blessed by the president to examine the rights and wrongs of the so-called "Affaire Libyenne". Cecilia, however, decided to make her case in an interview for a regional daily.

"I arrived in Libya as a woman, as a mother, I did not stress on the complicated international relations, but had the firm determination to save lives," the French president's wife told "L'Est rГ©publicain" when asked to explain her success.

"I am shocked by the way some media are exploiting a human drama, the suffering of women, children and families," Cecilia said.

The decision of the French president Nicolas Sarkozy to intervene in the dispute came after months of tortuous negotiations with European governments and talks emerged that Cecilia foray into politics obscured the real significance of the event.

"Nobody can stop me trying to help or bring relief to the suffering people in the world, no matter in which country," she said.

The first lady explained that the meetings with the Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi were held tГЄte-Г -tГЄte and in English without an interpreter.

"I think he realized that he could do a gesture that could improve his image. But it was not only him that I conferred with. I talked without a rest with all the Libyan governors who were in one way or another connected with the case," she added.

The five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor, who was granted Bulgarian citizenship right before the release, were convicted of intentionally infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV before transferring them to Bulgaria on July 24 to serve their life sentence there.

Libya commuted death sentences against the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to life in prison, following a financial settlement of USD 1 M each for each of more than 400 children infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

The six were pardoned immediately after they touched down in jubilating Bulgaria on July 24.

The medics were flown from Tripoli to Sofia at the end of a three-day trip to Libya by Mr Sarkozy's wife Cecilia and the EU's External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

France's scene-stealing new First Lady made a spectacular foray into politics with her role in the liberation of the medics.

After two trips to Libya and a long conversation with the man who was once the most roguish of state leaders, the nightmare was over.

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