quote:
U.S. MULLS FRANCE's PUNISHMENT

by Barry Schweid, The Associated Press


WASHINGTON (April 25) - Bush administration officials are reviewing U.S. relations with France with an eye to punishing the nation for opposing the war with Iraq.

The United States is considering excluding France from some NATO decisions as well as other U.S. meetings with allies.

Warned by Secretary of State Colin Powell that France faced consequences for its stand on Iraq, Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin vowed his country would stick to its principles.

``It will continue to do so in all circumstances,'' de Villepin said.

At the same time, the White House on Thursday quashed speculation that President Bush would not stay overnight in France during his trip in early June to the Group of Eight economic summit.

``The president will be overnighting in France. There were never plans for him to overnight anywhere else,'' presidential spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters aboard Air Force One.

The annual meeting of the world's seven wealthiest democracies and Russia will be held in Evian in the French alps, near the border with Switzerland. Tensions between the United States and France had given rise to rumors that Bush might spend the nights in Geneva.

France opposed the war with Iraq and blocked a U.N. resolution sanctioning the war sought by the United States and Britain. France, along with Russia, took the position that there should be more U.N. searches for illegal weapons before considering the use of force.

Germany, which opposed war with Iraq under all conditions, is not targeted for punitive measures, a senior U.S. official told The Associated Press.

Every country has the right to its own opinions, the official said. The difference between France and Germany is that France energetically tried to organize other countries against the United States, the official said on condition of anonymity.

For the most part, much that the United States does with France works well, the official said. For instance, cooperation in countering terrorism and on law enforcement is very good, he said.

``No one in the administration is saying stop all things with France,'' the official said. ``People are saying if there are places where we give special deference to France that we should review that.''

Potential punishment was discussed Monday at a meeting of top assistants to Powell, Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice, the president's national security adviser.

Actions could include excluding France from some meetings with U.S. allies and bypassing the North Atlantic Council, of which France is a member.

Bypassing the council, NATO's governing body, could mean excluding France from U.S. deliberations with European and Canadian allies because France is not a member of NATO's Defense Planning Committee, where the talks would be shifted.

To avert potential French opposition to using NATO peacekeepers in Iraq and having them search for hidden weapons of mass destruction, deliberations may be turned over to the defense group, said a State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Powell, in a PBS interview Tuesday night, said there would be consequences for France's opposing the United States in the United Nations. He described it as ``a very difficult period,'' but did not say what the administration had in mind.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Wednesday: ``It's more than philosophical. Potentially, it will affect how some decisions are made in the future.''

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said France's opposition to the war ``has put a strain on the relationship and that's a consequence that was paid.''

In the end, Bush believes the two countries and two people have common values and that the alliance will continue, Fleischer said.

De Villepin telephoned Powell Wednesday while traveling in the Middle East, Boucher said. Among the issues they discussed were sanctions against Iraq.

The United States proposes eliminating them as an unnecessary burden on Iraq's people now that Saddam Hussein and his government have been toppled. France favors suspending the sanctions, which Boucher said implies the possibility of their return.

``Sanctions should be lifted,'' Boucher said. ``The president said that. It should be ended. And we need to get together and talk about how to do that.''

On the overall relationship, Boucher said, ``Having had disagreements like this in our relationship doesn't change the fact that we are allies.''

De Villepin, en route to Iran, said France would continue to uphold its principles. ``Throughout the Iraq crisis, France, along with a very large majority of the international community, acted in conformity with its convictions and its principles to defend international law,'' he said.