WASHINGTON, April 23: US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Tuesday that France would face consequences for its opposition to the Iraq invasion as senior aides to President George Bush met to consider ways to express Washington’s anger.
Asked in an interview whether Paris would be punished for its anti-war stance, Powell replied bluntly: “Yes.”
“We have to take a look at the relationship. We have to look at all aspects of our relationship with France in light of this,” he told PBS television.
Reacting to the US threat, Paris said it would continue to defend international law.
French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, in Turkey on an official visit, said on Wednesday his country’s stance was shared by much of the international community.
“France and a very large majority of the international community has acted throughout the Iraq crisis in accordance with its conviction and principle to defend international law,” De Villepin said.
“France will continue to do this in all circumstances,” he added.
Powell’s comments came as senior US officials weighed tough measures against France, including sidelining Paris at NATO and limiting its participation in transatlantic forum, had been considered at a high-level meeting this week.
Participants in the meeting, held on Monday at the White House after a similar gathering last week was postponed, did not arrive at any decisions but are expected to gather again, possibly next week, in an effort to reach consensus, the officials said.
The officials said Vice President Dick Cheney’s office had been particularly vocal in pressing for some kind of punitive measures to be taken against France.
“They are trying to find ways to create alternative mechanisms for dealing with the French, or rather without them, and not just at NATO, but more broadly,” one senior official said.
Dissatisfaction with France has reached such a point that apart from Powell, the State Department, which has registered opposition to the punitive suggestions under consideration, appeared to be resigned to the possible moves.
“The recent events and disagreements will have an effect on our views and our relationships,” spokesman Richard Boucher said.
“There will obviously be an effect of the recent disagreement, but I am not prepared to draw specific conclusions at this point,” he told reporters.
Among the ideas discussed at Monday’s meeting included bypassing the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s governing body, in favor of the alliance’s Defense Planning Committee from which France withdrew in 1966, the officials said.
But perhaps more significantly, participants also looked at possibly not inviting France to numerous US-sponsored or -hosted consultative policy meetings held regularly with Washington’s European allies, they said.
“Traditionally there have been meetings of senior officials with the Europeans and we could dispense with them altogether, expand them to water down French influence or just cut France out altogether,” a second official said.
“What’s being looked at is less consultation with the French at all levels from ministerial on down,” the official said.
Bush’s most senior advisors — Powell, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and national security advisor Condoleezza Rice — did not attend Monday’s meeting, but sent deputies instead, the officials said.
Rice’s number two, Stephen Hadley, chaired the meeting with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman sitting in for Powell’s deputy, Richard Armitage, the officials said.
It was not immediately clear who represented Rumsfeld, although Pentagon officials said Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was at the White House for several meetings on Monday.—AFP
