The prime minister has vowed to "get the job done" despite repeated attacks on British and US troops serving in Iraq.

The defiant intervention came during a session of prime minister's questions dominated by the fall-out from the Iraq conflict.

Party leaders from all sides of the Commons began by paying tribute to the British soldiers and civilians who have lost their lives in the months since Saddam Hussein was toppled from power.

Tony Blair's pledge comes amid concern over continuing difficulties for coalition forces in the country.

It followed the announcement earlier this week that a further 1,000 troops are heading to the region.

There have also been revelations at the Hutton inquiry indicating that defence officials had doubts about the government's intelligence dossier on Iraq.

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy pressed the prime minister on whether he would now be dropping references to weapons of mass destruction as justification for war.

Blair replied: "No. We should allow the Iraq survey group to do their job."

"This is not an issue to do with British or American intelligence."

Kennedy also called for the reconstruction of Iraq to be internationalised through the United Nations, and received an uncompromising response from the prime minister.

"We are doing our level best to get the country back on its feet. The answer is not to run away from Iraq or to turn our back on Iraq. It is the right thing to do now and we will get the job done," Blair said.

The prime minister also denied claims that senior members of the armed forces had expressed doubts about the legality of the Iraq war.

And whilst he conceded that the situation on the ground he vowed to see reconstruction through to a conclusion.