Iraq stunned by huge bombs - what is going wrong?

Massive truck bombs that killed almost 100 people after shattering the facades of the Iraqi foreign and finance ministries have cast doubt on the ability of Iraqi security forces to protect the country from attacks. Many Iraqis wonder whether U.S. troops who pulled out of cities at the end of June under a bilateral security pact will be deployed again to fill security gaps. The bomb attacks aimed at undermining the Shi'ite-led government were sophisticated and well-organised, bearing the hallmarks of al Qaeda or of former military officers loyal to ousted dictator Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath party. But analysts say Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki may have backed himself into a corner by hailing the U.S. pullback as a victory for Iraqi sovereignty six years after the U.S. invasion. It would be politically unpalatable ahead of national elections in January to have to back-track, and summon U.S. help.