In essence, Obama has declared the war in Iraq all but over. “There is security progress,” he said during Tuesday’s news conference in Amman, Jordan. “Now we need a political solution.” While a diminished US force under his presidency would continue to protect US personnel, target terrorists and provide training, he said, it would be up to Baghdad to consolidate the victory by “setting up a government that is working for the people.”

Two days spent in Afghanistan and two days in Iraq, Obama said, reinforced his belief that it is time for the United States to move on. Calling the situation in Afghanistan “perilous and urgent”, he said both US military and Afghan government officials agree that “we must act now to reverse a deteriorating situation”.

Obama’s analysis has been buttressed by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other Iraqi leaders who, to the dismay of the White House and Senator John McCain, his Republican opponent, have publicly agreed with his call for completing a US combat withdrawal from Iraq in 2010.

McCain argues that the United States is succeeding in Iraq — although the war is still not over — because of last year’s “surge”of US troops, which Obama opposed. McCain’s aides and surrogates continued that theme on Tueaday, accusing Obama of what Rep Heather A Wilson called “a complete inability to acknowledge that the surge worked”.

But the Iraqi government’s newly stated position on troop withdrawals has put the McCain campaign — and many congressional Republicans who have been on record opposing timelines — in a difficult position. Randy Scheunemann, McCain’s chief foreign policy adviser, told reporters on a campaign conference call that the senator would gauge the proper level of US troops in Iraq according to security conditions on the ground and the advice of US military commanders. He made no mention of the views of Iraq’s elected government.

But Rep Ray LaHood (R-Ill), a reliable opponent of withdrawal timelines, was not as dismissive. “If we’re going to crow about the fact that 12 million (Iraqis) voted and elected their own leadership, we have to pay attention to their leadership,” he said. “We can’t have it both ways. We should say we’re heading for the door.”

Some Republicans questioned the value of anything Maliki said, recalling that even senior Democrats last summer labeled him an inept leader and called for his ouster. “I find it interesting that Prime Minister Maliki is now the person to go to,” said Minority Whip Roy Blunt, the second-ranking Republican in the House.

Others insisted that Maliki’s statements were designed for domestic consumption in Iraq — which has scheduled provincial elections for December — and did not reflect his government’s true feelings.