Tuesday, December 13 2005 14:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Philadelphia (Pennsylvania): US President George W Bush warned today (Dec 13, 2005) that Iraq's elections this week 'won't be perfect' and will not end the war-torn country's deadly insurgency.

In a rare comment by a US leader on the toll, Bush said in a question and answer session after a speech here that roughly 30,000 Iraqis had been killed since the March 2003 invasion to oust Saddam Hussein, while about 2,140 US troops have lost their lives.

The president also sternly condemned alleged abuse of Sunni detainees at secret Iraqi prisons, calling it 'unacceptable' and insisting, "those who committed these crimes must be held to account".

Bush was in Philadelphia to give the third in a series of speeches ahead of Thursday's parliamentary elections in Iraq, touting political progress there in a bid to shore up US public support for the unpopular war and his strategy to end it.

"No nation in history has made the transition to a free society without facing challenges, setbacks and false starts", including the United States, the president said.

"This week's elections won't be perfect, and a successful vote is not the end of the process," he cautioned, warning that those targeting US and Iraqi forces "aren't going to give up because of a successful election".

Bush repeated that democracy in Iraq would be a 'turning point' for the Middle East, encouraging reformers throughout a region where Washington has often favored stability over democracy.