BAGHDAD | Suicide bombers in cars packed with explosives killed at least 132 people and wounded more than 500 outside Iraqi government buildings Sunday morning in nearly simultaneous blasts that were powerful even by Baghdad&rsquo;s grim standards. </p><p> The bombings were the deadliest since April 2007, according to casualty figures released by Iraqi authorities, and they drew particular outrage because they struck at cabinet ministries and city government offices that are supposed to be especially secure.</p><p>The bombers apparently passed through multiple security checkpoints before detonating their vehicles within a minute of each other. </p><p> One of the explosions also ruptured a water line, causing a flood that turned red as it mixed with blood. Corpses bobbed underwater and dangled from rooftops. An Iraqi soldier fainted at the scene upon hearing eight of his comrades had died. </p><p> &ldquo;This is unbearable; this is criminal,&rdquo; said Mahmoud al-Fahmawi, an ambulance driver who collected jaws, a heart and other body parts from the scene. &ldquo;God didn&rsquo;t order jihad as this. Jihad is not killing or bombing innocents.&rdquo; </p><p> Iraqi authorities said the bombings appeared to have been carried out by two suicide attackers in cars or trucks that exploded almost simultaneously Sunday, the first day of Iraq&rsquo;s workweek. </p><p>The timing was devastating. Scores of ordinary Iraqis were killed en masse as they arrived at their jobs. It was also devastating for the Iraqi government, which has been trying to address security and political problems in time for January elections. </p><p> American and Iraqi officials were hoping for a calm election season that would pave the way for a swift U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, but a political stalemate over election laws and the insurgents&rsquo; continued ability to exploit the Iraqi government&rsquo;s vulnerabilities are potential spoilers. Now the January polls are in jeopardy, along with the Obama administration&rsquo;s goal of leaving behind a much more stable Iraq than the weak, violence-ridden nation of recent years. </p><p> &ldquo;The United States will stand with Iraq&rsquo;s people and government as a close friend and partner as Iraqis prepare for elections early next year, continue to take responsibility for their future, and build greater peace and opportunity,&rdquo; President Barack Obama said in a statement that condemned the bombings.</p><p>The attacks occurred just hours before Iraq&rsquo;s top leadership was scheduled to meet with leaders of political parties to reach a compromise on election guidelines needed for the January vote to proceed. </p><p> Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki&rsquo;s administration was still reeling from twin truck bombings in August that killed about 100 people outside state offices. Together with Sunday&rsquo;s similar attack, insurgents have now rendered four key government buildings &mdash; the ministries of justice, finance, foreign affairs and municipalities &mdash; uninhabitable.</p><p>The dead included 35 employees at the Ministry of Justice and at least 25 staff members of the Baghdad Provincial Council, said police and medical officials speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Three American contractors were among the wounded.</p><p> As of late Sunday, no group had claimed responsibility. </p><p>The street where the blasts occurred had just been reopened to vehicle traffic six months ago. Shortly after, blast walls were repositioned to allow traffic closer to the government buildings. Such changes were touted by al-Maliki as a sign that safety was returning to the city.