Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been quoted saying that US troops should leave Iraq "as soon as possible".
He called US presidential candidate Barack Obama's suggestion of 16 months "the right timeframe for a withdrawal".
In an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel weekly, Maliki said he was not seeking to endorse the Democratic US presidential contender, but that keeping troops in Iraq for too long would cause trouble.
Obama 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," 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 US troops in Iraq would cause problems."
US troops should leave asap: Iraqi PM - Breaking News - World - Breaking News