Iraqis gripped by insecurity

Susannah Price BBC correspondent in Baghdad

Americans are already overstretched trying to provide security

The United Nations in Iraq is reassessing its security precautions following the devastating bomb attack on its headquarters in Baghdad.

The blast was not only seen as an attack on the UN but also on the American-led coalition forces that have overall responsibility for security in Iraq.

The UN headquarters, situated in a former hotel on a busy road, was clearly a soft target.

The UN had set up strict procedures, such as only allowing UN vehicles inside the compound, and had built up the outside wall.

However, the American troops who were responsible for guarding the headquarters were generally lightly armed and remained inside the compound in contrast to the heavy security surrounding American bases.

You cannot walk around without fear of looters or kidnappers Baghdad resident

"We knew we might be targeted but we did not want to be surrounded by tanks and heavy machine guns," said the UN's chief spokesman, Salim Lone.

"We wanted to be accessible and close to the Iraqi people."

The investigation into the attack is still in its early stages.

However, American officials have already suggested that either a foreign terrorist group from Syria, Sudan or Yemen or those loyal to former president Saddam Hussein were behind it.

The same groups have been blamed for the attack on the Jordanian embassy on 7 August and the continued killing of American soldiers.

Soaring crime

The Americans' inability to track down those responsible, and the fact that an organisation such as the UN has now been hit, is forcing other foreign groups such as aid agencies and media organisations to reconsider their position.

US soldiers stop a man looting a fan from the bombed UN HQ

They have difficult decisions to make about staffing levels and the kind of protection they employ.

The American troops in Iraq are already overstretched trying to protect their own bases and installations as well as providing security.

Many are reservists with little previous experience. But there is no-one else to do the work.

This attack was apparently meant to demonstrate that the Americans cannot guarantee Iraq's security.

And ordinary people have been saying that if a large international organisation such as the UN cannot be protected, they cannot be safe.

But rather than terrorism, most ordinary people appear to be more scared of the soaring crime levels and few venture out after dark.

"There is no security here," said one woman.

"You cannot walk around without fear of looters or kidnappers. People have their cars taken from them in broad daylight and sometimes they are shot dead just for their vehicles."

Most people appear to feel the same - saying crime was one of their biggest fears.

"It is going from bad to worse," said a shop owner.

"The Iraqi people need peace but there is no sign of it yet."