BERLIN — Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says U.S. troops should leave Iraq "as soon as possible," according to a magazine report, and he called presidential candidate Barack Obama's suggestion of 16 months "the right timeframe for a withdrawal."
In an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel magazine released Saturday, al-Maliki said he was not seeking to endorse Obama.
The Illinois senator and presumptive Democratic nominee has pledged to withdraw combat troops from Iraq within 16 months if he is elected.
"That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes," al-Maliki was quoted as saying.
"Those who operate on the premise of short time periods in Iraq today are being more realistic. Artificially prolonging the tenure of U.S. troops in Iraq would cause problems."
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Asked when U.S. forces would leave Iraq, he responded, "As soon as possible, as far as we're concerned."
In Iraq on Saturday, Sadiq al-Rikabi, an adviser to al-Maliki, declined to discuss the prime minister's published remarks, but he said Iraqi officials do not intend to be "part of the electoral campaign in the United States."
"We will deal with any administration that comes to power," he said.
Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting John McCain has supported Bush administration policy opposing a set timetable for taking troops out of Iraq.
"Barack Obama advocates an unconditional withdrawal that ignores the facts on the ground and the advice of our top military commanders," McCain foreign-policy adviser Randy Scheunemann said Saturday.
"John McCain believes withdrawal must be based on conditions on the ground.
"Prime Minister Maliki has repeatedly affirmed the same view, and did so again today. Timing is not as important as whether we leave with victory and honor, which is of no apparent concern to Barack Obama," Scheunemann said in a statement.
Just days ago McCain told reporters on his campaign bus that Maliki "has exceeded a lot of the expectations."
"I think that much to the surprise of some, Maliki has proved to be a more effective leader," McCain said Tuesday in New Mexico.
The national security adviser to the Obama campaign, Susan Rice, said Obama welcomed al-Maliki's comments.
Sunni bloc returns to fold
Iraq's largest Sunni Arab political bloc returned to the government fold Saturday after calling off a nearly one-year boycott of the Shiite-dominated leadership — another critical stride toward healing sectarian rifts.
The return of the National Accordance Front does more than politically reunite some of Iraq's main centers of power.
It was seen as a significant advance toward reconciliation and efforts to cement security cooperation between Shiite-led forces and armed Sunni groups that turned against al-Qaida in Iraq.
Iraq's sharply improved security situation is already bringing plans for a pared-down British force.
On a visit to Iraq, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said plans are being made to scale back British troops in Iraq, but refused to consider an "artificial timetable" for withdrawing Britain's remaining 4,000 soldiers.
