[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.