Street chaos raises fears for coalition

SCENES of anarchy on the streets of Baghdad have sounded alarm bells for the US and British governments and aid agencies, and defence analysts warn US troops could face a dangerous law-and-order vacuum in Iraq.

Aid workers said law-and-order must be speedily restored to avert a humanitarian disaster. Analysts feared the troops were stretched far too thinly to keep control.

Gone are the euphoric pictures of crowds toppling statues of Saddam Hussein. Now civilians roam the streets of the Iraqi capital armed with assault rifles and looting of hospitals and government buildings is rife as Baghdad descends deeper into chaos.