Paris ? France’s foreign minister, Hubert Vedrine, calls U.S. foreign policy “simplistic.” Secretary of State Colin Powell retorts that Vedrine must be “getting the vapors.” Just a manly exchange between friends, the two later insist.

But the recent episode shows how old tensions are resurfacing between the United States and some of its European allies, six months after the Sept. 11 terror attacks evoked a huge wave of sympathy and solidarity.

European leaders still pledge total support for the war on terror, and many have contributed or offered help in the Afghanistan conflict. But some worry publicly about being treated like “satellites” of the United States, and are openly concerned over President Bush’s hints of expanding the war to Iraq.

Most of all, there’s been widespread dismay over Bush’s grouping of Iran, Iraq and North Korea as an “axis of evil” the words that provoked Vedrine to call Bush administration policy “simplistic.”

“We Europeans admire the Americans, but they are being very extreme, very brutal in their ideas,” says Philippe Moreau Defarges of the French Institute for International Relations. “The Europeans are a bit shocked by the unilateralist American attitude. I would say that if the language doesn’t change, there’s going to be a crisis between the U.S. and Europe.”

There is also likely to be concern expressed by some in Europe over news the Pentagon is devising contingency plans for the possible use of nuclear weapons against countries that threaten the United States.

The loudest criticism comes from European media, opposition parties and junior partners in otherwise pro-American ruling coalitions, and some European leaders have sought to redress the balance with pointed statements of solidarity.

French President Jacques Chirac, who has sent French warplanes to launch airstrikes, declared last week that the United States and France “are exactly on the same line, we have the same concerns.”

Admonished German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder: “We should not slip back into the old mistrust of the superpower.” America’s closest ally, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, has remained steadfast in his support.

Still, ordinary Europeans, as well as many politicians, have been voicing their doubts, especially about a conflict to which they see no end and the glaring fact that neither Osama bin Laden nor Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar has been found.

“I support the war, but I also support finishing it as soon as possible,” said Valentino Fioravanti, a Rome jeweler. “A power as great as America is unable to apprehend two people after all this time? It does not reflect well on the face of America.”

After Powell’s riposte, diplomats at the Foreign Ministry in Paris ran to their dictionaries to figure out exactly what “the vapors” meant. But they knew it wasn’t a compliment. Powell later said his remark, an archaic expression, was meant to say “Let’s not swoon.”

All the same, Vedrine maintained that Europeans had a duty to try to change the U.S. attitude.

“The debate is legitimate,” he said. “I hope it will contribute to convincing the United States to use its power more responsibly.”

In Germany, Foreign Minister Joschka Fisher warned the United States not to use its European allies as “satellites.” Chancellor Schroeder has also warned that Washington should “think three times” about military action against Iraq if it would mean the breakup of the coalition.

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi has strongly supported the war on terror from the beginning. But differences have arisen over the “axis of evil” idea, particularly concerning Iran, which Italy is trying to make a commercial partner. Like some other Europeans, it believes that dialogue with “rogue” states might be more productive than cutting ties.

In Spain, the center-right government of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar continues to be an outspoken supporter of Bush’s war on terrorism, and refrained from criticizing the United States over treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, when others were expressing concern. Aznar is keen to maintain U.S. support for his own war on Basque separatists.