WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama is expected to distance himself quickly from the unpopular foreign policy of President Bush, seeking to mend relations with foreign leaders and considering advice to shutter the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison and inaugurate a new climate-change effort.

However, on more intractable problems, such as Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, Obama is expected to move gingerly as he reshapes the U.S. approach while preserving his options and accounting for the concerns of allies in the Middle East, advisers said.

"He needs to say 'I'm listening to our allies and to our military leaders, and we're developing a plan,' " said an adviser, who discussed deliberations on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly. "He doesn't need to lock himself into a rigid schedule that would allow the enemy to game this out in advance and would make it harder for us to withdraw."

The president-elect's team expects his early moves will be "appreciated overseas, and create a more favorable environment for the new administration right at the start," another adviser said, also on condition of anonymity.

Taking such steps would provide a needed dramatic break from the past, said the second adviser. The world has so soured on the Bush administration that foreign leaders now are suspicious of American proposals, "even when they're good ones," the adviser added.

Obama placed heavy emphasis on foreign-policy issues during his campaign, and frequently declared that a withdrawal from Iraq would be "first priority" of his presidency.

However, the economic crisis reshuffled his priorities, some advisers acknowledged. The crisis will siphon away his attention and may slow some foreign-policy efforts, they said.

Still, the enthusiastic international reaction to his election could help Obama in early initiatives to strengthen ties with international alliances, a frequent campaign theme, and to change U.S. policies that have been condemned abroad, such as Guantanamo and policies on interrogating detainees.

GUANTANAMO PRISON

Obama has declared that Guantanamo should be closed and that detainees should be handled through the U.S. military justice system. Obama also has pledged to organize an international coalition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

On Iraq, Obama has called for the withdrawal of combat troops within 16 months, but also has reserved some flexibility in his position.

Obama and his aides have been talking to Iraqis and other Middle Eastern officials in recent months. Several foreign diplomats who have spoken with Obama believe that the new administration intends to leave an amount of flexibility in its withdrawal timetable.

Samir Sumaidaie, the Iraqi ambassador to the United States, said after recent talks with Obama and his aides that he believes the new administration will bring "some change, but I don't think a fundamental change" in the U.S. approach.

Officials of several Arab countries, though ambivalent about the U.S. presence, said they have urged the Obama team not to scale back the Iraq troop presence in a way that risks an upheaval across the region.

Obama's advisers are split on the timetable issue, with some saying he remains committed to completing a combat troop withdrawal within 16 months of his inauguration.

Some of the advisers have suggested Obama send top officials of his administration, perhaps including the secretaries of state and defense, to begin consultations in the Middle East early in 2009. A campaign official said there are no plans so far to do so.

CAUTION ON IRAN

On Iran, Obama also said during the campaign that he intended to conduct high-level talks with officials of the regime. Now however, some advisers emphasize the careful preparations needed before any such meeting.

"I don't think he needs to rush to that," said a third adviser. "He's made it clear that engagement will be a hallmark of this administration, but he never said that there wouldn't be the proper groundwork for engagement."

U.S. officials may want at least to postpone any high-level talks until after June, when Iran holds elections that will determine whether hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remains in office. Direct talks before then potentially could strengthen Ahmadinejad, who is under fire for Iran's steep economic downturn.

Obama is likely to move more quickly to reaffirm the American commitment to the international effort to pressure Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. Persian Gulf countries and Israel, as well as others, want Obama to make clear that he does not intend to ease off the economic and diplomatic pressure.

On Afghanistan, Obama has argued that the United States must give greater emphasis to combating extremism, by adding troops, among other measures.

But he is coming to office at a time when U.S. and other Western officials are debating how to reshape strategy amid setbacks in the fight against Islamist militants. Developing a new approach is likely to take some time, advisers say.

Some aides expect Obama to name key Cabinet officials this month. But he could opt to withhold most foreign-policy announcements until after his inauguration.