Iraq blasts trigger detention of officials

BAGHDAD – The Iraqi government on Thursday announced the detention of 11 army and police commanders, accusing them of negligence in Wednesday’s massive bombings targeting government buildings in Baghdad.

The explosions outside the Foreign and Finance ministries Wednesday morning killed nearly 100 people and wounded about 500.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, apparently aware of the likely political fallout of the coordinated attacks, which are certain to paralyze work at the two key ministries for weeks, called an emergency security meeting late Wednesday.

The prime minister promised “swift resolutions and procedures” to derail terrorist plots ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for Jan. 16, according to a statement posted on the government’s Web site.

The speed and tone of the government’s response were in striking contrast to weeks of rosy pronouncements about the security situation and the readiness of Iraq’s security forces.

“He was quick to throw his own security services under the bus,” said a Western diplomat.

Al-Maliki blamed Sunni extremists who had belonged to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party for the attacks. The bombings took place a day after the prime minister asked his Syrian counterpart during a meeting in Damascus to hand over Baath Party members whom Baghdad suspects of orchestrating violence in Iraq.