Obama meets with Iraqi president, discusses troop withdrawal

Obama, who was in Iraq for the first time in over two years, met with Maliki in Baghdad and said talks were "very constructive", according to Sawt al, an Iraqi news agency. Obama earlier met with commanders in the southern city of Basra.

The national security adviser to the Obama campaign, Susan Rice, said the senator welcomed Maliki's support, saying, "This presents an important opportunity to transition to Iraqi responsibility, while restoring our military and increasing our commitment to finish the fight in Afghanistan."

Obama, who was in Afghanistan yesterday, is travelling to the Middle East and Europe this week and is using the trip to bolster his foreign policy credentials.

According to an ABC News/ Washington Post survey this month, by more than a 2-to-1 margin, voters said the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, John McCain, has a greater knowledge of the world than Obama.

The poll, which was taken between July 10-13, also showed that 72 percent of those surveyed said McCain knows enough about world affairs to be president, while 56 percent said so about Obama.

US President George Bush and Maliki have agreed to include a "time-horizon" for the withdrawal of US forces in a security pact which is still in the process of negotiation.

The White House insisted again on Monday that the agreement between the U.S. and Iraq would not include a specific date for a troop withdrawal.