His comments came during a grilling by MPs in parliament in the aftermath of another spate of bombings in Baghdad last Tuesday in which 127 people were killed and 450 wounded.

"We have completed 80 percent of the investigation over the bombings against the ministries of finance and foreign affairs," Bolani told lawmakers during the session, referring to twin truck bombs against the ministry buildings on August 19 that killed around 100 people.

"The court was convinced by the evidence the ministry of interior brought and the 13 terrorists implicated will be executed."

He added, referring to yet another set of coordinated attacks that targeted government buildings on October 25: "We are continuing to work on the attacks against the ministry of justice and the Baghdad governorate offices."

Bolani had earlier told MPs that authorities had arrested 13 "criminals" in connection with the December 8 series of blasts in the Iraqi capital.

He was joined during the session by Defence Minister Abdel Qader Obeidi, National Security Minister Shirwan al-Waili and other security heads, amid alarm in parliament over the effectiveness of Iraq's security apparatus.

"We have in our ministry an information and investigation department which dedicates 50 percent of its work to the fight against terrorism," said the interior minister, waving a thick folder on Tuesday's carnage.

Bolani called for Iraq's security operations centres, which in Baghdad answers directly to the prime minister's office, to be linked to the interior and defence ministries to improve efficiency.

The defence minister, whose department is also facing public anger over its apparent inability to bring a halt to mega-attacks, said insurgents had backing from within and outside Iraq.

"The enemy is strong: it has the support of former intelligence service agents (of the deposed Saddam Hussein regime) and enjoys regional backing," Obeidi said.

He also renewed the case for public funding to pay off informants.

"When we submit our budget, the finance ministry slashes half of it and then when it passes in parliament, MPs cut another 25 percent from certain parts of the ministry and we are left with no budget to pay informants," he lamented.

Baghdad's former military chief Lieutenant General Abboud Qanbar, also briefing MPs, said his department had received information from the US military on two attacks that were to have taken place last Tuesday.

"But the attacks did not take place at the sites (stated) and the type of vehicles used were not those of which we had been informed," said Qanbar, who lost his job because of the car and minibus bombings.

He pointed out the number of car bomb attacks in Baghdad had plunged from 207 in 2007, to 88 last year and down to a level of 46 so far in 2009 with only two weeks left.

On Saturday, the defence minister asked parliament in his testimony for funds to recruit informers, saying the authorities fell short on intelligence to combat the insurgents.

"When someone comes to tell me about a bomb factory or booby-trapped cars I can't pay him," Obeidi told MPs.

"Parliament must allocate the prime minister and security forces a budget allowing them to pay between five million and 50 million dinars (4,200 to 42,000 dollars) to those who report information on terrorist activities."

In a question-and-answer session with MPs on Thursday, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki accused rivals of stoking political rows which have put the country's security at risk.

The premier added that Iraq's security forces needed to be de-politicised.

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