Washington, March 21: US Democratic presidential candidate hopeful Barack Obama has blamed the ballooning defence budget due to the Iraq war for the country's current economic woes.

"How much longer are we going to ask our families and our communities to bear the cost of this war?" the Illinois senator asked at a rally in West Virginia on Thursday.

The US economy, which is being dragged down by increasing budget deficit, rising oil price and lasting sub-prime crisis, has overtaken the Iraq war to be the top concern for American voters.

However, the Iraq war remains a focus because it has consumed billions of dollars and lives of nearly 4,000 US troops without any end in sight.

"At a time when we're on the brink of recession, when neighbourhoods have 'For Sale' signs outside every home, and working families are struggling to keep up with rising costs, ordinary Americans are paying a price for this war," Obama said.

He also seized the opportunity to criticise Republican presumptive presidential nominee Jon McCain as the one who would persist with President George W. Bush administration's mistake on the Iraq war and tax cuts.

"No matter what the costs, no matter what the consequences, Jon McCain seems determined to carry out a third Bush-term," Obama said.

Arizona Senator McCain, who is on a trip to the Middle East and Europe this week, dismissed criticism from Obama, insisting the need for the US to stay in Iraq in case Al Qaeda militants resurge.

Economists said last week that the Iraq war would cost US taxpayers around $3 trillion. A poll released on Wednesday showed that 71 percent of Americans blamed the war spending in Iraq for the country's economic woes.

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