7 Spaniards Killed In Iraqi Ambush (More Details)

Washington Post ^ | 11/30/03 | Rajiv Chandrasekaran

[saquin]

LATIFIYA, Iraq, Nov. 29 -- More than a dozen insurgents ambushed and killed seven Spanish intelligence officers on Saturday on a highway near this town south of Baghdad, according to witnesses and Spanish officials.

The closely coordinated attack, in which gunmen fired from moving cars and behind a concrete wall, was the latest in a series against European troops taking part in the U.S.-led occupation. Witnesses said the ambush was carried out by loyalists of former president Saddam Hussein using automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.

In a separate attack north of Baghdad, two Japanese diplomats were killed in an ambush near Hussein's home town of Tikrit, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. The Japanese government is weighing whether to dispatch noncombat troops to help rebuild Iraq, a contribution desperately being sought by the U.S. government but opposed by many Japanese.

An hour after the attack on the Spaniards, more than 100 residents of a nearby Sunni Muslim village swarmed the area, many chanting slogans in support of Hussein. In a display of jubilation mixed with hostility unusual even by the standards of other attacks on foreign soldiers, several youths forcefully kicked three of the bodies, which had been dragged into the opposite lane of the divided road.

People at the site said they believed that the soldiers, who were dressed in civilian clothes, were CIA agents or members of the Israeli intelligence service.

"Praise to the steadfast people!" several people shouted in unison. Others beckoned passing motorists to roll down their windows and then boasted: "Look what we have done to the Americans and the Zionists." It was the deadliest roadside attack on occupation forces since shortly after the capture of Baghdad.

[saquin]

Two slight causes for optimism in this horrible story:

-The one Spaniard who survived did so because he was rescued by a passing motorist.

-Another Iraqi motorist challenged the youths standing around the bodies - "You enjoy what you're doing?" the driver growled. "You're killers."

One note of concern:

The attack seemed to be carefully coordinated by people who knew the timing and route of the Spaniards vehicles, with two cars of gunmen pulling alongside and firing while other attackers waited behind concrete wall with guns and RPGs.

[wretchard]

The details make this clear that the attackers had enough intelligence to pull off a moving vehicular ambush in coordination with static elements (the guys behind the concrete wall). That means the Spaniards were surveilled all the way from their origin and that the vehicles were in contact with the static element by radio or telephone. Both the vehicular and static elements must have been preassembled. You can't put together a team like that at a moment's notice. Since the Spaniards were professional intelligence officers and would be engage in countersurveillance, it is likely the Iraqi attackers were also professional intelligence people.

It seems likely that this group of Spaniards had been compromised for some time. That means there may be a leak within the CPA, Iraqi police, Coalition headquarters or even the US Armed Forces.

Although nearly half of the Spaniards died in the first volley, the remainder kept their heads. They shot it out with superior numbers for twenty minutes, probably with pistols only. All you Freepers know what this says about those men. One got away. None were captured. By rights, none of the Spaniards should have survived or escaped capture.

Question: how were they compromised? Question: why should it take 20 minutes to get relief? My take is that, being intel guys, they did not coordinate with 82nd AD. Maybe in the future, all personnel should be covered, if only by the artillery fan. If they could call in arty, they could have had a fire mission in within 5 minutes.

[jocon307]

"..a contribution desperately being sought by the U.S. government.."

First question, are we really DESPERATELY seeking military help from Japan? Or any nation? I mean, if we're really that DESPERATE, why don't we just hand the whole sink pot over to the UN

Second question, were these diplos just tooling about on their own? Didn't they have military escorts? If not, why not?

[Lijahsbubbe]

"Look what we have done to the Americans and the Zionists

Hmm. Are we sure that these men (God bless them) were Spaniards?

[Lijahsbubbe]

My error, I just read the President's remarks and the remarks of the Spanish Prime Minister.

[jolie560]

The Iraqis in these areas are incapable of standing up to fellow Muslim fanatics. They caved in to Saddaam, they are caving in to Jihadists. The Kurds and Shiites can govern themselves. The sheep who live in central Iraq are a lost cause. They are not worth anyone's effort in that part of the country.

[Righty1]

The Iraqi "police" are completely compromised. All I can say is "let arabs be arabs" and then kill them!

[wretchard]

Consider the Iraqi who stopped for the Spaniard in the middle of a firefight, presumably with rounds zipping right behind the Spaniard. Long after the last American leaves Iraq, that Iraqi motorist has to live there, as do his kids. And that other motorist, who told the dancing, gloating, Ba'athists where to get off. I'm not going to call anyone who fights with us, and risks his life with us a coward.

No. The solution is to kill the Ba'ath to the last man, both for our own sakes and the sake of human beings like those two motorists.

[TexKat]

Saddam loyalist have infiltrated the American trained Iraqi police force.

What I don't understand about this is why the other Iraqis don't turn them in.

This is why I have always said that I do not have confidence in the Iraqi people to stand up for themselves, they have been under Saddams big feet far too long.

[TexKat]

Iraqi's celebrate over the bodies of killed members of a Spanish military intelligence team on a street, south of Baghdad, Saturday, Nov 29, 2003. At least six people where killed and one injured in the attack on the Spanish military intelligence team in Iraq, Spanish official said. (AP Photo/Sky News)

Composite photo showing police mugshots of four suspected terrorists, who allegedly organized a network seeking to recruit Islamic militants for suicide attacks against coalition forces in Iraq. Muhamad Majid, alias Mullah Fouad, top left, is still sought by police and is believed to have left Italy, Bouyahia Maher Ben Abdelaziz, top right, of Tunisia, and Housni Jamal, bottom left, of Morocco, were arrested in Milan, Italy, while Abderrazak Mahdjoub, bottom right, of Algeria, was apprehended in Hamburg, Germany, on an arrest warrant issued in Milan by prosecutor Stefano Dambruoso. The photos were released by police in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2003. (AP Photo/HO)

[TexKat]

Iraqi's celebrate over the bodies of killed members of a Spanish military intelligence team on a street, south of Baghdad, Saturday, Nov 29, 2003. At least six people where killed and one injured in the attack on the Spanish military intelligence team in Iraq, Spanish official said. (AP Photo/Sky News)

[katz]

Has anyone read a web site called healing Iraq? http://healingiraq.com

I check it out daily. So many people support this guy.
He said that he was a part of the Bathhist(sp) pre-war.