US presidential candidate Democrat Barack Obama has received backing from Iraq's leadership for his call to pull out American combat forces from Iraq in 2010.
His call, made during a visit to Baghdad, upset the Bush Administration and drew heated criticism from rival Republican John McCain.
Senator Obama's Iraq visit has forced the five-year-old war back to the top of the presidential campaign agenda.
It included briefings and a helicopter ride above Baghdad with United States commander General David Petraeus, as well as meetings with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other government leaders.
Senator McCain was battling to stay in the campaign spotlight as Senator Obama's travels drew huge media attention. The four-term Arizona senator, who appeared wrong-footed by the Iraq developments, disagreed with Senator Obama about troop withdrawals.
Senator McCain said any pull-out ''must be based on conditions on the ground'', not arbitrary timelines.
Iraq the third destination on the tour aimed at bolstering Senator Obama's foreign policy credentials followed a challenge from Senator McCain, who complained that Senator Obama was wrong to plan for troop withdrawals without having visited Iraq since January 2006.
Disagreement between Senator McCain and Senator Obama deepened when Iraqi Government spokesman Ali al-Dabagh said, ''We are hoping that in 2010 that combat troops will withdraw from Iraq.''
Senator Obama repeatedly said he wanted to have those forces out of the country by the middle of 2010.
Iraq's Sunni Vice-President, Tariq al-Hashemi, said, ''I'd be happy if we reach an agreement to say, for instance, the 31st of December 2010 would mark the departure of the last US combat unit.''
He said the date would depend on security and the pace of training for Iraqi forces. That date would be about seven months later than Senator Obama's 16-month timeline.
Senator Obama was to arrive in Israel late yesterday.
He was scheduled to meet Israeli leaders and would also travel to the West Bank for talks with Palestinian leaders.
He said after his tour of Iraq that Iraqis wanted an ''aspirational time- line, with a clear date'' for the departure of US combat forces.
In a joint statement with senators Chuck Hagel, a Republican from Nebraska and Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, who were also on the tour, Senator Obama said, ''Prime Minister Maliki told us that while the Iraqi people deeply appreciate the sacrifices of American soldiers, they do not want an open-ended presence of US combat forces.
''The Prime Minister said that now is an appropriate time to start to plan for the reorganisation of our troops in Iraq, including their numbers and missions.
''He stated his hope that US combat forces could be out of Iraq in 2010.'' The senators acknowledged a significant decline in violence in Iraq, and said while there had been some ''forward movement'' on political progress, reconciliation and economic development, there has not been ''nearly enough to bring lasting stability to Iraq''.
Mr Maliki said earlier he was not supporting either presidential candidate, but felt Senator Obama's plan to remove combat forces within 16 months was in line with his Government's wishes.
White House press secretary Dana Perino appeared displeased by the Iraqi leaders' statements.
She implied that talk of a 2010 timetable was part of the Iraqi Government's public negotiating stance as the US and Iraq discuss an agreement that would define the US role in Iraq beyond the end of the year. AP