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Baghdad: Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama say they want to withdraw US troops from Iraq as soon as possible. Republican John McCain says he will keep them there "as long as necessary".
On the ground in Iraq, it may make little difference.
"They're not that far apart in reality, whatever they say," Gerd Nonneman, professor of Middle East politics at Britain's University of Exeter, said of the three candidates.
"All want to look to a withdrawal and don't see a long-term US commitment beyond the normal kind of assistance agreements that the US has with lots of countries in the world."
Those who might be most threatened by a quick US pullout would be Iraq's US-backed leaders. But they say they aren't alarmed by the prospect of a Democrat in the White House.
"Whoever will be in the White House, there will be an adjustment of the strategy, a modification, but not a revolutionary change or a complete departure from what has been invested here," Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said.
Iraqis are even prepared to accept Obama's plan for withdrawal by mid-2010.
"If it is organised and agreed upon, then it will not represent any problem," said government spokesman Ali Al Dabbagh.
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