French Jean-Pierre Raffarin says US was wrong on the war. He claims we have made a moral, political and strategic mistake in undertaking the downfall of the brutal dictator.

France is attempting to salvage bad PR in the US and UK, while still criticising the war. This is not the best way of doing it, although the President did send an apology to the Queen about the war memorial desecration. I wonder if he remembered to send an apology to all the Commonwealth countries whose dead lie in the graveyard as well.

This PR "offensive" which has involved telling the world we mis-translated the poll that said 33% of the French want Saddam to win (it's only 28%) and another 33% aren't anti-us but not pro-either, is most interesting. It is obvious that the speed and organisation of the French boycott (as well as the anti-French sites) has taken them by surprise.

They don't seem to understand why the US and UK have taken offence to the French being hostile to our actions in Iraq, meddling in the UN and insulting Bush's intelligence. They fail to see why we are offended that they would only offer their help after our troops got attacked with WMDs. And this is of course, if you don't read the French press. Anyone following the French boycott debate on my blog has a slight taste of the vitriol that is being seen in France against the US.

The French do not even come close to understanding the anger they have caused in the US and the UK. They will expect it to be forgotten once the war is over and there is peace in Iraq. Alas, I rather doubt it will dissipate so fast. The British and the Americans will remember the sense of betrayal and anger they felt in the last few months for a very long time.

Maybe the French should take Chirac's advice to the new Eastern European counties. The advice that they should be quiet and think about their actions?