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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.