US vice president Dick Cheney, campaigning for Republicans four days before congressional elections, has said victories for Democratic critics of the Iraq war would tell militants that "their strategy is working".
Polls show Democrats may be poised to take control of at least one chamber of Congress in the November 7th elections, largely due to anger over the war.
In an interview with ABC television, Mr Cheney cited the example of antiwar Democratic Senate candidate Ned Lamont's primary win against incumbent Joe Lieberman to suggest al Qaeda militants would draw messages from the vote.
Mr Lieberman, a supporter of the war, is now running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary.
"I think when they (militant groups) see something happen such as happened in Connecticut this year with the Democratic party in effect (having) purged Joe Lieberman, primarily over his support for the president and the war, that says to them that their strategy is working," Mr Cheney said.
The vice president also said the Bush administration would proceed "full speed ahead" with its Iraq policy, regardless of the election outcome.
"Clearly, there have been problems," Cheney said, but he added, "We've got the basic strategy right."