British Prime Minister Tony Blair said today the interim local government due to run Iraq from July will have final political control over foreign troops - a position seemingly different from the American line.
"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," Mr Blair said 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."
The United States and Britain have been at pains to stress Iraqis will have sovereignty over their country after June 30th as they seek to head off hostility to the US-led occupation, which has been fanned by revelations of prisoner abuse.
But exactly who has what control over foreign troops is turning into a charged and complicated issue.
Mr Blair and US President George W. Bush, who have taken a battering in opinion polls over Iraq, are under pressure to get UN endorsement for the handover of sovereignty and are seeking support for a draft resolution they circulated yesterday.
The proposed UN resolution would allow US-led forces to "take all measures" to keep order and does not contain a specific Iraqi veto clause. But British officials say London wants such a veto included in an exchange of letters with the interim government and agreed before a UN vote.
Officials in Washington, however, are making clear that the United States - where putting troops under foreign control is a taboo - will retain absolute control of its soldiers.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell, apparently taking a different line to Mr Blair, told a news conference today when asked if the future Iraqi government would be able to veto a US operation in Falluja: "Obviously, we would take into account whatever they might say at a political and military level.
"Ultimately, however, if it comes down to the United States armed forces protecting themselves or in some way accomplishing their mission in a way that might not be in total consonance with what the Iraqi interim government might want to do at a particular moment in time, US forces remain under US command and will do what is necessary to protect themselves."