BAGHDAD, May 23 (UPI) -- The Iraqi federal government needs to work quickly to fill key security posts following a string of deadly attacks in the country, an Iraqi official said.
Five policemen and two civilians were killed Monday by a car bomb in the northern city of Kirkuk, an Interior Ministry official said. On Sunday, a wave of explosions shook Baghdad, killing at least 19 people and wounding dozens of others.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is said to be considering whether to ask U.S. forces to stay in the country beyond their Dec. 31 deadline. The deadline is spelled out in a bilateral status of forces agreement signed in 2008.
Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi said, however, the recent wave of attacks highlighted the need for Baghdad to get its political house in order, the Voices of Iraq news agency reports.
The attacks, he said, highlighted the importance of "a review for the security dossier, through expediting the appointment of security posts, in addition to developing security and intelligence plans."
Maliki secured the parliamentary majority needed for form a new government early this year. Political bickering consumed most of 2010 and the prime minister still hasn't filled many of the positions in the government.
