Embattled Iraq insurgents shift tactics ahead of elections

Baghdad: By staking its reputation on improving security, Iraq's Shiite-led government has made itself a target for insurgents determined to undermine the prime minister ahead of national polls next year.

Local security forces helped tame much of the violence that has plagued Iraq since 2003, but the political manoeuvring ahead of the March 7 parliamentary poll magnifies festering sectarian divisions and gives insurgents a chance to make an impact.

Police say car bombs killed 112 people in Baghdad on Tuesday, the latest attack on government facilities that reflect a tactical shift by insurgents who for years aimed their bloody attacks on softer civilian targets such as markets.

Militants linked to Al Qaida have claimed responsibility for the bombings. Similar attacks in October and August devastated the Finance, Foreign and Justice Ministries, killing hundreds, and chipping away at Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki's reputation for having improved security in Iraq.

Al Maliki was summoned yesterday to parliament to answer for the attacks. Rumours abound of government sackings, shaking Iraq just as it prepares to host global oil chiefs for a crucial auction of oilfield contracts.

"Insurgents are aiming to shatter [Al Maliki's] legitimacy and sow more chaos among the different political groups. In some ways it works," IHS Global Insight Iraq analyst Gala Riani said.

The 2003 US invasion triggered years of sectarian bloodshed between Iraq's once dominant minority Sunnis and majority Shiites, who stand to dominate any democratic vote.

Sunni Islamist insurgents such as Al Qaida consider Shiites heretics, and by bombing Shiite targets, they were able to spark a sectarian war.

But more recent attacks on Shiites have failed to trigger a similar response, partly due to government crackdowns on Shiite militias, militia ceasefires, and reluctance of the Iraqi public to support sectarian causes after years of war.