Dick Cheney, the Vice-President, and Donald Rumsfeld, the Defence Secretary, are eager to make France pay, but have yet to settle a row with the State Department about whether to do so, officials told The Times.

Although there is no suggestion of trade sanctions or other severe moves, one idea is to expand the “quad” — the informal forum grouping Britain, France, Germany and the United States, which meets in secret to hammer out common positions.

Countries that supported the war, such as Italy, Poland and Spain could be included in the forum, diluting the influence of France and Germany, which opposed the war. The quad is so powerful and so resented by other allies that it is a diplomatic taboo to mention its name.

The debate led to a Cabinet-level meeting being cancelled last Thursday, an official said. It was reconstituted as a meeting of deputies, but broke up without a decision. “However, there is agreement that they are going to punish France,” the official said.

France made an expression of support for suspend- ing “non-military” sanctions against Iraqi civilians, a step towards the US position.

Colin Powell, the Secretary of State, was asked on television yesterday if France would face consequences for “standing up to the United States like that”. He responded: “Yes.”

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