John McCain, the Arizona senator and Republican frontrunner for the 2008 presidential race, on Wednesday clashed with the top US military commander in the Middle East for recommending a strategy of "status quo" in Iraq.

"I am, of course, disappointed that basically you're advocating that status quo here today which I think the American people in last [week's] election said is not an acceptable condition," Mr McCain told General John Abizaid, the US Centcom commander who was testifying before the Senate armed services committee.