Talk of the teetering economy has dominated conversations between the presidential candidates the last few weeks, but the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq still loom as a significant foreign policy concern for the next president.

The presidential candidates would take drastically different approaches in handling the wars.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said the U.S. government should not set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. According to McCain’s campaign Web site, his plan would keep American troops in Iraq as long as necessary to secure the country’s interests, while simultaneously working to bolster Iraq’s economy. McCain said he plans to use a portion of the Iraqi government’s budget surplus to employ Iraqi citizens in infrastructure projects and to restore basic services to the country.

McCain’s plan also would call on allies of the U.S. to put pressure on Iran and Syria, whom he accuses of abetting violence by training militias that would kill American and Iraqi troops. In addition, his plan would oppose all unconditional dialogues with hostile foreign leaders.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., supports a phased withdrawal of forces from Iraq over the course of 16 months.

According to Obama’s campaign Web site, the withdrawal would be directed by American military commanders in consultation with the American and Iraqi governments. Obama said a residual force would remain in Iraq to conduct counter-terrorism missions in conjunction with the Iraqi military. The plan will also train Iraqi security forces, if the Iraq government moves toward political reconciliation and away from sectarian division.

Obama said he would launch an aggressive effort to reach diplomatic stability in the region by holding talks with Iraq’s neighbors, including Iran and Syria. Obama said this strategy would secure Iraq’s borders from the meddling of neighboring countries and provide financial support for reconstruction in Iraq.

The candidates agree that more troops should be committed to the conflict in Afghanistan, but they disagree on how U.S. forces could best fight terrorism on the ground and acquire support from Afghan citizens.

Political science professor Gregory Miller said bolstering the American military presence in Afghanistan could cause unintentional negative consequences.

“Having more troops in Afghanistan might push more moderate Afghans to oppose our presence,” he said. “Regarding al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, putting more troops on the ground wouldn’t necessarily solve that problem.”

Obama said he would commit two to three additional combat brigades to Afghanistan and ask for greater military and financial contributions from North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s allies.

Obama also would propose $1 billion in annual, nonmilitary assistance to Afghanistan to aid the country’s economy and cut down on narcotics trafficking.

McCain’s plan would commit three additional combat brigades to Afghanistan and double the Afghan army. McCain said he would use the same counter-terrorism strategy in Afghanistan that is currently employed in Iraq. Also, he would create additional funds through an international trust fund financed by the U.S. and its allies.