Kouchner / Sarkozy bang the drum on Iran .. " prepare for the worst... and the worst means war".

Bernard Kouchner , French Foreign Minister (and founder Medecin sans Frontieres) who has been developing close ties with famous pianist and show gatherer, Condileezza Rice has added strength and dimension to the growing Atlanticist accent in French Foreign policy.

The hardening of France's position towards Tehran was first signalled by Nicolas Sarkozy in a speech to the French ambassadors last month.

Then he called for tougher economic sanctions against Tehran and warned that if these failed to halt Iran's nuclear programme, there would be, as he put it "a catastrophic choice" between "an Iranian bomb or the bombardment of Iran".

Today in a broadcast interview Kouchner raised the spectre of a conflict with Tehran, warning the world "to prepare for the worst... and the worst means war".

The US has war plans for a conflict with Iran, the voice of the hawks still rings around the Beltway - evena as the position of Putin remains unclear.

In his interview Kouchner announced that French firms have been asked to withdraw from dealings with Iranian tenders - they are of course free he said to do as they please, he said with his Gallic tongue firmly stuck in his Gallic cheek.

Sarkozy is relentlessly building up and taking the lead in European support for the US - combat aircraft supporting Nato operations in Afghanistan will now be based in Kandahar. (he is also pissing off Frau Merkel with all his grand bises, hugs and kisses)

There is speculation that France will join NATO.

Kouchner has made it clear that the Iranian game is over - the message is still diplomatic but the threat of military action is clear.

It provides Mr Brown and the unusually quiet Mr Miliband , resh from banning Palestinian footballers, with a thorny problem as the call for the troops to be brought home gets louder and the Little Englanders mass under Cameron.

" prepare for the worst... and the worst means war".

See Lord Patel's post Tuesday, September 04, 2007
All out US / French aerial assault on Iran is imminent