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Scene of an Iraq bombing - Source: Reuters -
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Iraqi security officials had prior warning of bloody bombings this week that police said killed 112 people , but bureaucracy and blunders tripped up efforts to stop them, the interior minister said.
Iraq's defence, interior, and national security ministers were summoned to parliament on Saturday to answer for car bomb attacks that ripped through the heart of the capital on Tuesday, the third major recent attack targeting government facilities.
"There are several reasons behind what happened ... misunderstanding of information, incorrect assessments, conspiracy and blackmail, and conflict of interest and bureaucracy," Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani told lawmakers.
Iraqis have frequently criticised security forces for security breaches, and security officials near blast sites have regularly been rounded up for questioning after major attacks.
Analysts suspect that political squabbles between Iraq's fractious politicians may have weakened the security services, confusing loyalties between political masters and the state.
The attacks have become all the more destabilising ahead of what is expected to be a hotly contested general election in March, when Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will seek to win a second term on a law-and-order platform.
Analysts say insurgents may be exploiting political divisions to conduct attacks on what should have been secure government buildings in Baghdad.
Many Iraqis suspect some degree of collusion between elements of the security forces and Sunni Islamist insurgents that are typically blamed for major bombings. An Iraqi group affiliated with al Qaeda claimed Tuesday's bombings.
The head of Iraq's national security agency and the head of security in Baghdad, who was replaced after Tuesday's attacks, were also called to parliament.
Maliki answered lawmakers' questions about the attacks on Thursday, where he slammed foreign support for the country's stubborn insurgency and political squabbling that made keeping Iraqis safe more difficult.
Iraq has accused neighbouring Syria of harbouring members of Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath party, who Iraqi officials believe are behind recent attacks.
Overall, violence has fallen sharply in Iraq in the last two years, and November's civilian death toll was the lowest since the 2003 US invasion.
