Coordinated Attack- concern for foreigners.

To the Editor:

In the article on the 26th of January 2010 titled, "Coordinated Attack in Baghdad Strikes Hotels Catering to Foreigners", not only does the author Anthony Shadid and John Leland illustrate the three bombs that were unleashed on Monday, they also highlight the current security issues that Baghdad is experiencing. The article claims that insurgents had a goal of destroying the small sense of security and authority over the region that the new government has been trying to instill. While the main attraction of the article was that the attacks where set off near hotels of foreign reporters and broadcasters, it also shed light on just how faulty the security in Baghdad is.

At security checkpoints that are meant to check for bombs were reported to be useless and that the British company that had created them sent out a recall because of findings that they were not as effective. The attacks in Baghdad prove this theory, but installment companies in the area still fight that they work. But how could three bombs have passed checkpoints that are stationed at every intersection in the city? These attacks also come a few weeks before the vote takes place and many believe this is a sign of retaliation against Prime minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki's stance on banning a vote from Baath Party supporters. With security lacking and insurgents having demonstrated the faults in the system, I believe that the violence will only escalate closer to voting day.