Critics of the Iraq war have slammed the prime minister over plans to allow British troops to move to northern Iraq under US military command.

The forces will be sent to Fallujah - where there are fears of mass bloodshed following a bitter stand off between insurgents and US forces.

The Ministry of Defence insists no final decision has yet been taken although sources have confirmed that the deployment will be announced this week.

The opposition has questioned whether the move is a "political gesture" to shore up George W Bush ahead of next month's presidential poll.

Critics of the conflict also also warn it will lead to higher fatalities amongst British troops.

Senior Labour figure Lord Healey signalled his opposition to the planned deployment.

By joining the US in the north of Iraq, the former defence secretary said the UK's terms of engagement were being significantly altered.

Risk

"If we do anything it is better to do it in Basra where we have managed to keep the bulk of the population on our side," he said.

"The Americans by bombing civilians without any real care or attention have turned the whole of the Iraqi people against them and indeed the whole of the  Muslim world."

Health secretary John Reid, however, hit out at the government's critics.

For people to suggest that there is some tawdry political deal here, I think, diminishes the effort that has been made by our soldiers on the ground,'' he told the BBC Breakfast with Frost programme.

"There will be occasions when you are fighting in coalition when, at a given tactical level, you operate under your ally's control. But the decisions will be made on an operational ground."

Statement

Meanwhile the shadow defence secretary has called for an urgent Commons statement when MPs return on Monday.

Nicholas Soames said the Tories had no objection to British forces serving under US command but questioned whether the announcement was a "political gesture".

Former foreign secretary Robin Cook said British forces were entering very difficult territory.

"For a year Britain has been trying in vain to persuade US forces to show the same restraint as our troops, who have won a lot of local goodwill as a result," said Cook.

"The real risk of sending a British battalion into the US sector is that our troops could become associated in Iraqi minds with US methods.

"The last time US forces attacked Fallujah they left 1,000 civilians dead and uproar across Iraq at their heavy handed tactics."

In a separate move Scotland on Sunday newspaper has reported that Blair has agreed that the US can base their controversial Star Wars missiles on British soil.

The missiles, which are designed to shoot down incoming nuclear weapons, will "inevitably" be based in the UK following a wide-ranging defence agreement between the prime minister and the US president.