President Bush called for a slight reduction in the level of U.S. troops in Iraq Tuesday saying some 8,000 service members would return by early next year — leaving the fate of future troop strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan squarely in the hands of the next president.

On the campaign trail, the candidates were quick to react to the troop level news. Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama called the move “very modest” and urged a stronger timeline for troop withdrawal while also praising the hard work of the troops in the field.

“In the absence of a timetable to remove our combat brigades, we will continue to give Iraq’s leaders a blank check instead of pressing them to reconcile their differences,” Obama said in a press statement, accusing the president of “continuing the same strategic mistake that has dominated our foreign policy for years.”

Focusing on plans for a military shift to Afghanistan, Obama pushed his own plan to “rebuild our military” with “a comprehensive strategy to finish the job in Afghanistan — with more troops, more training for Afghan security forces, more development resources, more anti-corruption safeguards, and more of a focus on eliminating the Taliban and al Qaeda sanctuary along the Pakistan border,” his campaign statement read.

“What President Bush and Senator McCain don’t understand is that the central front in the war on terror is not in Iraq, and it never was — the central front is in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Obama said.

GOP Sen. John McCain took the opportunity Tuesday to detail his own plans for Iraq and Afghanistan, emphasizing a critical tie between the two conflicts.

“As we succeed in Iraq, we must also succeed in Afghanistan,” the Arizona Republican said. “I continue to have full confidence in Generals (David) Petraues and (Raymond) Odierno as they prepare to assume their new responsibilities, and I look forward to continuing to rely on their advice and counsel as we seek to prevail in both Iraq and Afghanistan.”

McCain lauded U.S. efforts in Iraq and said that the planned drawdown is based “as it should be, on conditions on the ground and the advice of our military commanders in the field,” a campaign press statement read.

The Vietnam War veteran also attacked his opponent’s proposal for a timetable of withdrawal, calling the Illinois senator “utterly confused by the progress in the war in Iraq” and his plan “reckless” and “profoundly irresponsible.”