"We have to look at all aspects of our relationship with France in light of this," Powell

WASHINGTON, April 23 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Making the first ever blunt statements against France, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell threatened late Tuesday, April 22, that France would suffer consequences for its staunch anti-war stance.

Asked in a CBS television program 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 CBS television.

Powell's comments came as senior U.S. 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, Agence Fracne-Presse (AFP) reported Wednesday, April 23.

Participants in the meeting, held Monday, April 21, 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, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, 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.

Watering Down France's Influence

Dissatisfaction with France has reached such a point that apart from Powell the State Department appeared to be enthusiastic about the possible moves.

"The recent events and disagreements will have an effect on our views and our relationships," spokesman Richard Boucher said Tuesday.

"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.

Monday meeting looked at possibly not inviting France to numerous U.S.-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 U.S. 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.

Powell, Rumsfeld and Rice had been set to meet last Thursday, April 17, to go over the issue of France but that meeting was postponed at the last minute after French ambassador to the United States intervened to stop it and the Pentagon asked for a delay to better prepare its arguments.

The defense department is in general agreement with Cheney's office that France should pay some price for its opposition to the war on Iraq and its refusal to back the deployment of NATO assets to help defend Turkey during the conflict, the officials said.

Key Security Council members maintained sharp differences Tuesday over the future role of U.N. arms inspectors in Iraq, clouding a decision on when to lift economic sanctions against the war-battered country.

The U.S. ambassador to the council, John Negroponte, said Britain have "assumed responsibility for the disarming of Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction."

While France, striking the discordant note, called on the council to immediately "suspend" civilian sanctions against Iraq, but asserted that their removal as suggested by the United States required the U.N. inspectors to certify Iraq free of banned weapons.

Japan For Swift Lift Of Sanctions

In another development, Japan Wednesday, April 23, voiced support for a proposal to immediately lift economic sanctions against Iraq.

"It is desirable to lift sanctions soon," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda told a news conference.

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi was quoted by AFP as telling the lower house of parliament's foreign policy committee: "Considering Iraqi people's conditions, we hope that economic sanctions will be lifted at an earlier stage."

At the news conference, Fukuda hinted at Japan's opposition to letting U.N. inspectors return to Baghdad to resume operation in search of weapons of mass destruction.

"Right now, the United States is making an effort," Fukuda said. "It is necessary to maintain public security first."

Preparations for loading 10,000 tones of rice for the Iraqi people began at the port of Nagoya, central Japan, with a plan to dispatch an 18,500-tonne cargo ship carrying the food aid to Iraq on May 5, a Food Agency official said.

On Tuesday, Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said Japan aimed to create an international fund to help rebuild Iraq, in the absence of a viable sovereign Iraqi administration to receive and disburse international aid.