MELBOURNE( Reuters)-Australia has made a" huge" diplomatic error, the French ambassador said on

a$ 67 billion submarine deal, with Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thébault accusing the nation of

United States and Britain rather than stick with its contract for French diesel submarines. Yet as

with nuclear submarines.He made the comments in a pooled television clip in Washington on Wednesday

canceling a 90 billion Australian dollar($ 66 billion) contract last month, an act French Foreign

-existing agreement with French manufacturers to produce diesel-powered submarines, causing outrage in

alliance, Canberra ripped up its contract to buy 12 French-built diesel-electric submarines.... We

build a fleet of submarines." The deceit was intentional," Mr Thebault told the media in Canberra on

Severine Chesnel had expected to place more Australian children in the bilingual Montessori primary school she co-founded.... 15, the day Australia sunk the deal, a Naval Group employee had called to arrange registrations for the following week, she said." That's how brutal the surprise was," Chesnel said.... In a town that takes pride in its naval shipbuilding prowess, there is upset at how the contract slipped through the government's hands....

French and Australian officials said Monday that France's anger over a cancelled submarine contract