Baghdad carnage shatters security forces' credibility

Baghdad: Security in the Iraqi capital was heightened and city streets almost empty Wednesday as many Iraqis stayed home after a series of bombings sparked fears that security forces are overwhelmed by the violence.

The coordinated bombings, which came two days after a major attack on a Baghdad church, seemed designed to demonstrate that Al Qaida in Iraq and other insurgent groups still have a significant presence in the capital. Sixteen car bombs and road-side bombs detonated across the city on Tuesday evening, prompting the government to declare a security alert and impose snap bans on vehicles.

Political gridlock

It also added pressure on squabbling political leaders to form a new government and restore public confidence almost eight months after Iraqis voted in national elections. Parliament, ordered by Iraq's highest court to get back to work, is scheduled to reconvene on Monday.

"The politicians are fighting each other instead of the terrorists," said Amar Ali at his shop in the central Karada district. "The security forces are not in control. If they can do this to the security situation, these people are capable of making the government fail," he said referring to the wave of attacks.

Al Qaida has vowed to keep up a spate of attacks against Christians after more than 70 people were killed and 250 wounded in the blasts on Tuesday.

"For the last four months we have seen attacks around Baghdad but now they are inside [the city]," says Mohammad Al Rubeiy, a Baghdad provincial council member for Karada. "Karada is the centre of Baghdad and Baghdad is the centre of the government. That means the terrorists are sending a message to the world: ‘We are back and we are here'."

The government on Tuesday night imposed emergency measures, including temporarily closing roads, banning cars and raising security forces to their highest alert level. On Wednesday morning, streets normally choked with traffic were deserted as many parents kept their children home from school. Shoppers who normally would have been out buying clothing and gifts for upcoming religious holidays stayed home, waiting to see how the day would unfold.

At one checkpoint, the non-commissioned officer in charge said he and his men have lost faith in their superiors and the political leaders they blame for the chaos. "There is no patriotism anymore. Everyone here just works for their salary — if they cut my pay I'd leave," said the officer, who did not want his name used because he would be punished for talking to the media.

"The attacks come in waves," said a plainclothes officer at the same checkpoint, where police were waving electronic explosive detection devices at stopped cars. "We have attacks for two or three days and then it will be quiet for three months."

Iraq admits bomb-detecting devices to be ineffective. US officials have tried to persuade Iraqi security forces to make more use of bomb-sniffing dogs.

Porous checkpoints

The scale and breadth of the bombings appear to have weakened the confidence of Iraqis in the security forces guarding checkpoints meant as the first defense against car bombs.

"They're supposed to provide security for us. But they're drinking in the daytime and addicted to pills," said another shopkeeper, referring to what Iraqis say is a widespread problem among police.