Democrat presidential candidate Mr John Kerry says there "no end in sight" to the daily dangers faced by US soldiers in Iraq despite US president George W Bush's "mission accomplished" declaration last May.
"We are still bogged down in Iraq - and the administration stubbornly holds to failed, unilateral policies that drive . . . allies away," Mr Kerry said in a speech at George Washington University.
"But the answer is not a stubborn pursuit of the same arrogant policies; the answer to failure is not more of the same. Instead we have to return more effectively to the international community."
His remarks were a response to Vice President Dick Cheney, who delivered a harsh indictment of the Massachusetts senator's defence and foreign policy views during a speech in California.
"Senator Kerry's voting record on national security raises some important questions all by itself," Mr Cheney said at the Reagan presidential library. He said the Democrat senator "has given us ample doubts about his judgment and the attitude he brings to bear on vital issues of national security."
Mr Kerry, a decorated Vietnam war veteran, has been criticised by the Bush campaign for voting against $87 billion in spending to support operations in Iraq despite his contention that the military was more extended than at any time in a generation.
"We are weaker today militarily than we should be, but this administration stubbornly refuses to admit it," Mr Kerry said. "Soldiers in Iraq are paying the price every day."