A few short months ago, the US and French governments could hardly conceal their mutual mistrust and contempt; the relationship between the previously close allies had become ice-cold. But how quickly times can change. Since the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as president in May, there has been a radical transformation in French policy, and an immediate improvement in US-France bilateral relations as a consequence. It is Mr Sarkozy who has initiated the change. Suddenly, there is an entente cordiale across the Atlantic once more, and many US commentators - Republicans in particular - are embracing a man they believe may be America's best bet in Paris for a generation. The most important public expression of the new policy approach came when - in a deliberate and pre-planned move - Mr Sarkozy's foreign minister made very public comments regarding Iran and the ongoing crisis over its nuclear programme. Bernard Kouchner said this month that an Iranian nuclear weapon would pose 'a real danger for the whole world'. There's nothing very new there. But global headlines were guaranteed when he then added: 'We have to prepare for the worst, and the worst is war.' Key areas of division between the previous French government and the Bush administration were the use of military force as a solution to rogue states in the Middle East, and questions of the legality of its use. The 'war on terror' concept, and especially the 2003 Iraq war, were greeted with dismay in Paris. Former president Jacques Chirac's government saw it as a policy possessing all the subtlety and nuance of a playground bully. France made it clear in the intervening years that it saw itself above such approaches. Yet France is now raising the prospect of war. Mr Sarkozy is also beginning to put his money where his mouth is. France has suddenly increased its military presence and support activities in Afghanistan. There is widespread speculation that Paris may rejoin Nato's integrated military command, which it walked out of in 1966. The changes in French policy are bad news for the Iranian regime. The international community remains divided on Iran and its nuclear programme; key powers like China, Russia and Germany remain opposed to expanded sanctions and any suggestions of a use of force. But the French U-turn is a key defection. Mr Sarkozy is now pushing for independent European Union sanctions against Tehran. In a marked change in policy, he is suggesting that French companies may even be encouraged not to bid for contracts in Iran. If the EU reaches a consensus on the matter, it would put huge pressure on Iran and significantly improve the likelihood of the UN Security Council adopting similar measures. US President George W. Bush finally has something to celebrate: the country whose citizens neoconservatives and columnists have been calling 'surrender monkeys' is now back on side. Hagai Segal, a terrorism and Middle-East specialist, lectures at New York University in London
