Iraq to have veto over foreign troops says Blair

LONDON - The interim government due to run Iraq from July will have a veto over foreign troops' military operations, Prime Minister Tony Blair says.

"If there's a political decision as to whether you go into a place like Falluja in a particular way, that has to be done with the consent of the Iraqi government," Blair said on Tuesday in reference to recent US attacks on rebels in that city.

"The final political control remains with the Iraqi government. That's what the transfer of sovereignty means."

Blair added, however, that occupying troops could not be forced into unwanted operations.

"That doesn't mean to say that our troops are going to be ordered to do something that our troops don't want to do," he told reporters. "The political control shifts, the operational issues have to be decided under various agreements...it may be decided on an operation-to-operation basis."

Blair said US-led forces would only remain in Iraq after the planned transfer of sovereignty at the invitation of the interim government - but he refused to be drawn on how long foreign troops may have to stay.

At an earlier news conference in London, Iraqi Defence Minister Ali Allawi said he thought US-led military forces would only need to stay in the country for months rather than the years predicted by most analysts.

"The issue is how fast you can get a proper indigenous Iraqi security service up and running - that's what governs the timetable," Blair said. "Our troops should only remain as long as necessary for them to remain to provide the help with security that the Iraqis need."

London has said it is in talks with its allies about sending troop reinforcements to Iraq but the prime minister said no decision had been taken on additional British troops.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq