The officials said Powell decided to call de Villepin on Tuesday shortly after confirming that Washington would punish Paris for its stance on the conflict.

It was not immediately clear when Powell would make the call as de Villepin is on a tour of the Middle East, the officials told AFP on condition of anonymity.

However, they said Powell was not yet in a position to tell his French colleague exactly how the United States would register its extreme displeasure with France as no specific decisions had been made.

"He wants to talk to de Villepin about the consequences generally, what's being considered and what's not," said one senior official. "It's more of a courtesy call so the French aren't left guessing after the interview."

In an interview with PBS television Tuesday, Powell became the most senior member of President George W. Bush's administration to say that France would face consequences for opposing the US war effort.

"We have to take a look at the relationship," Powell said. "We have to look at all aspects of our relationship with France in light of this."

Asked directly whether Paris would be punished, he replied bluntly: "Yes."

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said earlier that "the recent events and disagreements will have an effect on our views and our relationships."

Boucher would not say what was being considered, but senior US officials have said they include sidelining France at NATO and not inviting it to a variety of US-sponsored and -hosted international forums.

"The way we deal with the French has to be based on the reality of what we can expect about their willingness to work with us diplomatically and otherwise," a second senior official said.

"The Iraq situation just necessarily changes the way the way we deal with them," the official said.

The first official said the United States might try to downgrade or outright eliminate French participation in consultative groups on the sidelines of UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europemeetings.

"The thrust of it would be to not be so closely consultative with France on matters of worldwide importance since France does not apparently share our views," the official said.

"The questions being asked now are: How do we deal with a France today that has shown itself to be uncooperative? And, more importantly, how do we take actions that will diminish our reliance on France in international affairs?" the official said.

Possibilities for such actions were discussed on Monday in a meeting of senior Bush aides at the White House, the officials 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.

The Pentagon, backed by Vice President Dick Cheney's office, wants France to pay 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.

The State Department has taken a less strident line, but the comments from Powell indicate that US diplomats are now resigned to some kind of action being taken.

SPACE.WIRE