US: For weeks a spontaneous, informal boycott of French wine, a rash of anti-French jokes and renaming French fries "freedom fries" have characterised a knee-jerk reaction by many Americans to French opposition to the war in Iraq.
Now making France suffer the consequences of its anti-war stance is set to become official US Government policy, directed by officials in the White House.
On the Charlie Rose television programme on Tuesday evening, US Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell was asked if there were consequences for France because it stood up to the United States over Iraq.
"Yes," Mr Powell replied. He did not elaborate further but said that now that the war was over "we have to look at all aspects of our relationship with France". He added, "We didn't believe that France was playing a helpful role. There's no secret about that." The background to his comments was a meeting of senior aides in the White House on Monday called to consider ways to punish France for its role in preventing the US winning UN Security Council approval for the American-led invasion of Iraq, US officials told AFP.
No decisions were taken and the policy group is scheduled to meet again next week. A similar gathering last week to include Mr Powell, Defence Secretary Mr Donald Rumsfeld and National Security Adviser Ms Condoleezza Rice, was apparently postponed at the request of the French ambassador.
Vice President Mr Dick Cheney and Deputy Defence Secretary Mr Paul Wolfowitz are said to be particularly vocal inside the administration in urging that France be punished, while Mr Powell has been more cautious.
The meeting discussed side-lining Paris in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation by focusing on NATO's 18-country Defence Planning Committee, from which France withdrew in 1966, rather than on the 19-member governing body, the North Atlantic Council.
Officials also reportedly considered excluding France from numerous US-sponsored consultative policy meetings with European countries. France is also likely to be excluded from sub-contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq, where the major contracts have been awarded to US firms like Bechtel.
Foreign Minister Mr Dominique de Villepin said yesterday that France would continue to uphold its principles, whatever the cost.
"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," Mr de Villepin said on a trip to Turkey.
French government spokesman Mr Francois Cope said Mr Powell's comment "does not correspond in any way to the reality of our current relations with the US." On Tuesday the French ambassador to the UN Mr Jean Marc de la Sabliere proposed at the UN Security Council a suspension of sanctions that hit Iraqi civilians, a move reflecting a shift towards the US demand for the immediate lifting of all sanctions, and a pragmatic French attitude to the new post-war situation.
It followed an attempt by French President Jaques Chirac to patch up the relationship by calling US President George Bush on April 15th. US officials described the talk as "businesslike", a term used to indicate disagreement.
The anti-French mood in the US could marginally affect France's annual $28.4 billion export trade with the US. Sales of french wine had dropped significantly in the last two months and French trade promotions postponed.
The Pentagon has scaled back its presence in the upcoming Paris air show but says this is because of logistic problems arising from the war.
Asked about Mr Powell's response to the question about consequences for France, White House press secretary Mr Ari Fleischer said: "He was direct and honest. He said yes. It would be a real surprise if he said no, pretending everything is hunky-dory between the US and France."
The alliance between the two countries would continue of course, he said but "it has put a strain on the relationship," he said.