Iraqi politicians and US forces have warned of rising violence ahead of the March 7 vote, the second parliamentary ballot since the 2003 US-led invasion ousted Saddam Hussein but ushered in a deadly and long-lasting insurgency.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said extremists were trying to upend progress toward democracy, while UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged Iraqis to remain on a path to reconciliation despite persistent unrest that plagues the country.

The first bomb struck near the Palestine and Sheraton hotels in Abu Nawaz, close to where a giant statue of Saddam was symbolically toppled almost seven years ago, at around 3:30 pm (1230 GMT).

The second and third blasts just minutes later targeted the Babylon Hotel in the central district of Karrada and the Hamra hotel in Jadriyah, in the south of the capital, said an interior ministry official, who also gave the toll.

Iraqi military spokesman in Baghdad Major General Qassim Atta said all three bombings were suicide attacks.

The streets leading to the hotels, which are used by foreign businessmen, were immediately sealed off, preventing reporters from approaching.

A security source said armed clashes broke out near the Hamra, which houses several international journalists, in what appeared to be a diversionary attack before the suicide bomber drove his minibus at the hotel seconds later and detonated it.

The first explosion in Abu Nawaz shook ground miles away from the site of the blast and sent plumes of smoke rising hundreds of metres (yards) into the sky.

The surrounding area is heavily guarded with only two access zones, however Iraqi security forces in the area use the ADE651, a hand-held device to detect bombs which is sold by a British company but was last week banned from export.

It is said to be able to detect explosives such as C4 and TNT, as well as weapons, but Baghdad has launched an investigation into its purchase and use after British tests showed it was not suitable for bomb detection.

The director of ATSC, the company that sells it, was arrested on suspicion of fraud by misrepresentation by British police and subsequently bailed.

Monday's attacks differed from recent high-profile bombings in Baghdad in that they targeted hotels, one of the capital's few remaining symbols of tourism, rather than government buildings.

The hotel bombings were followed around 90 minutes later by a government announcement that Saddam's notorious cousin and henchman "Chemical" Ali Hassan al-Majid, a symbol of the fallen regime, had been executed.

Nearly 400 people were killed and more than 1,000 were wounded last year in co-ordinated vehicle bombings at government buildings, including the ministries of finance, foreign affairs and justice in August, October and December.

Insurgents, weakened in the past year, have in the past six months changed tactics and mounted successful attacks on "hard" targets such as government offices, rather than so-called soft targets in civilian areas.

There are widespread fears, in the wake of the bloody attacks to hit Baghdad in the second half of 2009, that political violence will rise in the weeks leading up to the March vote.

The election is seen as a crucial step towards consolidating Iraq's democracy and securing a complete US military exit by the end of 2011, as planned.

However a bitter row has broken out in recent weeks after hundreds of candidates were banned from taking part because of their alleged links with Saddam, which could see Sunni Arabs marginalised from the political process.

The dispute has alarmed the United States, and the latest bombings will add to Washington's concerns.

"When people believe in the political system and that they can chart their own future, then that poses a direct rebuke to those who try to govern by fear, intimidation and violence," Clinton told reporters on Monday.

"We unfortunately believe that there will be continued efforts by the terrorists -- by Al-Qaeda in Iraq, in particular -- to try to upend the commitment of the Iraqi people toward a democratic future.

"The Iraqis themselves by their actions are demonstrating a great deal of courage."

US Vice President Joe Biden made a 24-hour visit to Baghdad at the weekend after which he said he was confident Iraq's leaders would find a "just" solution to the exclusions issue.

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