Bush, Blair and Howard: The honeymoon is over... now for the painful divorce

ABC News says the Iraqi sovereignty issue is splitting the coalition:

"The US, Britain and Australia have offered conflicting interpretations of how much control the 'sovereign' Iraqi interim government will have over foreign troops after the June 30 handover.

Britain says the interim government will have final control, Washington says its forces will be under US command and do whatever is necessary to protect themselves and Australia says it doubts the new government could command the foreign troops.

The apparent difference between the allies could complicate their efforts to secure UN Security Council endorsement for a June 30 handover in Iraq, particularly after France, Russia and China signalled they wanted changes to a draft resolution.
'The final political control [over foreign troops] remains with the Iraqi government. That's what the transfer of sovereignty means,' British Prime Minister Tony Blair said.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said: 'Ultimately...US forces remain under US command and will do what is necessary to protect themselves.'"