Violence in Iraq is likely to remain at high level for some time after Sunday's elections, according to US Defence Secretary Mr Donald Rumsfeld.
His warning came a day after the US sustained 37 deaths in a helicopter crash and attacks by militants opposed to the elections - the heaviest loss of US life in Iraq since the invasion nearly two years ago.
Several Iraqi policemen and civilians were also killed in the attacks and today another policeman was killed by a car bomb.
A suicide bomber attacked Iraqi security forces in the town of Baquba near Baghdad, killing at least one policeman and wounding six.
Mr Rumsfeld said he expected violence to remain because insurgents might exploit the uncertainty while results are confirmed and the government assembled.
"You're looking at, I would guess, well into March, possibly into April, for these things to sort themselves," he said in Washington.
Mounting US deaths have increased public pressure for a clearer exit plan from Iraq, while the attacks and the low level of voter registration have strengthened the argument of those who say the elections will not bring stability Gulf state.
President Bush yesterday acknowledged the loss of life was "very discouraging" to the US people but appealed for understanding of US goals in the region.
The latest surge of insurgent attacks appeared aimed at sowing fear even as the US-backed interim government vowed stringent measures to safeguard the election, Iraq's first since the fall of Saddam Hussein in April 2003.
A list of candidates dominated by Shia Islamists and drawn up with the guidance of revered cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is expected to win the most votes, cementing their newfound political power.
Many Sunni parties are boycotting the polls, saying the insurgency raging in their central heartlands will prevent supporters from voting and this will skew the results. A low Sunni turnout could undermine the credibility of the election and add to fears of sectarian strife.
Agencies