BAGHDAD — Iraqi officials said Wednesday they don't expect Barack Obama to withdraw U.S. troops hastily from Iraq because he told them last summer that he wouldn't make a decision without consulting them and U.S. commanders on the ground.

With violence down and the economy No. 1 on American voters' minds, the Iraqis said they believe the new president will take his time before fulfilling his promise to end the war in Iraq, which costs U.S. taxpayers $12 billion a month at a time of financial crisis back home.

Exit polls Tuesday showed that only one in 10 American voters considered Iraq their main concern in choosing a president, suggesting that Obama will focus more on the economy when he takes office Jan. 20.

"Obama has to deal with Iraq's issues in a positive way and have a sense of responsibility to correct the situation in Iraq, as well the situation inside America," said Salim Abdullah, spokesman of the largest Sunni bloc in parliament.

"We are not concerned that he will take a unilateral decision to remove troops quickly from Iraq since he needs to discuss this issue with the Iraqi government first," Abdullah said.

Iraqi officials were skeptical of the Illinois senator when he launched his candidacy two years ago, pledging to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of his inauguration.

At the time, Iraq was reeling toward all-out civil war, with Shiite and Sunni gunmen battling in Baghdad's streets while rockets and mortar shells detonated in the Green Zone, the U.S.-protected area of central Baghdad where top Iraqi officials live and work.

The prospect of U.S. troops leaving Iraq quickly was popular among American voters but alarmed the Shiite-dominated government, which feared a withdrawal would remove its main pillar of support.

But violence receded after last year's U.S. troop buildup, which Obama opposed.

Nevertheless, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said most Iraqi leaders still assumed that John McCain, who supported the troop buildup, would succeed President Bush.

Their opinions began to change after Obama visited Baghdad last July, al-Dabbagh said. He said Obama's meetings with Iraqi leaders, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, convinced them he was a serious contender.

Obama also told the Iraqis that his 16-month withdrawal timetable was not rigid and that he would be willing to adjust it if necessary, several Iraqi officials said.