British Prime Minister Tony Blair onWednesday dismissed reports of an Anglo-US split over the handoverof power in Iraq stressing that US and British troops would keep their own commanders after the planned June 30 power transfer to an interim Iraqi government.

London and Washington appeared to be at odds Tuesday over whether the interim Iraqi government should be given a veto right over coalition military actions.

Blair said military actions of the coalition must have the fullsupport of the interim government after June 30 while US Secretaryof State Colin Powell later insisted American forces would remain under US control.

"We are both absolutely agreed there should be full sovereigntytransferred to the Iraqi people and that the multinational force should remain under American command," Blair told the House of Commons, Britain's lower house of parliament.

The new Iraqi government would take over strategic and political decisions but the ensuing military operations would be controlled by coalition commanders, Blair told lawmakers.

"Until the Iraqis have the capacity...there may well be division of responsibilities between the multinational force and the Iraqis but the ultimate political decision-making and control will rest with the sovereign Iraqi government," Blair added.

Source: Xinhua