The Bush administration, incensed by France's demands for greater UN control in Iraq, is working to isolate France and win a majority at the UN Security Council for the American approach, administration officials said on Thursday.
In an echo of a tactic the administration tried earlier this year, without notable success, Secretary of State Colin Powell is stepping up his efforts to enlist the support of Russia, Germany and other nations for American control over the occupation and transition to self-rule in Iraq, even though many of them sided with France in opposing the war.
Last winter, in the face of a threat by France to wield its veto power, the US tried to line up nine of the 15 Security Council votes to pass a resolution authorizing the use of force to overthrow Saddam Hussein. American officials said that if they had won the votes, France might have abandoned its veto threat.
President Bush then maintained that the US did not need the resolution to go to war.
The big difference this time is that even French officials say France would not veto a new resolution.
"Powell is upset about the French, but the fact is they are not in a combative mood on this," a senior European diplomat said. "Behind closed doors, the French are saying they would never dream of vetoing. There is no fighting spirit here."
Next week, Bush will press other nations to back the American approach on Iraq when he addresses the UN General Assembly. Powell is to spend the entire week at the UN.
The secretary has pointed out repeatedly that all it takes is nine votes to pass a resolution, and he is sure that he has them.
The French-American rift is over a French proposal for the UN to supplant the US as the leading player overseeing Iraq's transition to democracy as well as a more rapid turnover of sovereignty to Iraqis, perhaps in as little as a month. The administration argues that the Iraqis are not ready.
On Thursday, appearing at Camp David with King Abdullah of Jordan, Bush said he did not expect to have a draft of a proposed resolution on Iraq until next week. Administration officials have circulated a draft that would keep American control over military forces and the transition to self-rule but are incorporating some suggestions of other nations.
American officials discussing the strategy of trying to isolate France said it reflected mounting concern among administration officials that in their view, virtually every policy adopted by France in recent months has seemed to try to thwart American policies in Iraq and elsewhere.
"There are just a lot of bad feelings toward the French," an administration official said. "Every time they talk about multilateralism, we know that it's nothing more than a euphemism for constraining the US."
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