Article

2003-12-02 Europe

Spainâs Defense Minister: Pulling out of Iraq âwould betray the victimsâ

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Posted by Seafarious 2003-12-02 11:32:34 AM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Not only would it betray the victims of the ambush it would also betray the victims of the former regime and any future victims if Saddam was ever allowed to regain power.

Posted by Cheddarhead 2003-12-2 12:13:52 PM|| 2003-12-2 12:13:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 Spain's got its own Andalusian problem. Hang tough in Iraq, hang tough at home.

Their soldiers are getting the practice they and we unfortunately might need.

Posted by Anonymous 2003-12-2 1:12:09 PM|| 2003-12-2 1:12:09 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 Details on the attack: Officials suspect that seven Spanish intelligence agents slain in Iraq were betrayed by one of their contacts, who may have tipped off their killers, the defense minister said Tuesday. In Saturday's attack, eight Spaniards were returning from Baghdad to the Spanish base in Diwaniyah when they were ambushed by gunmen on a road 18 miles south of the Iraqi capital. One agent survived. The group of Spaniards -- four agents due to return home and four others replacing them -- had gone to Baghdad apparently so the new agents could meet "information sources," the newspaper El Pais reported Tuesday, quoting sources in Spain's National Intelligence Center.

Went to introduce them to their Iraqi contacts.

Defense Minister Federico Trillo said the attack probably was linked to the October shooting of Spanish intelligence agent Jose Antonio Bernal. In that attack, the gunnmen knew where Bernal lived in Baghdad. The assailants knocked on the front door of his house and killed him as he ran down the street trying to flee. "So there may have been a tip-off or betrayal by someone in that community, which is never entirely controllable," Trillo told Spanish National Radio on Monday, apparently referring to Iraqis who worked with or knew the Spaniards.

Yup, they were sold out. Hope they had left records of who they were going to go see. The Spanish will want to look them up and introduce them to some old Spanish customs.

Spain had received several threats prior to Saturday's attack and the agents knew their trip was risky, Trillo said. News reports said the Defense Ministry's suspicion of a betrayal was fueled by the fact that the agents made last-minute changes Saturday, beginning their journey earlier and taking a different route than planned.

Did everything right, but it wasn't enough.

The daily El Mundo cited evidence given by the survivor of the attack, Jose Manuel Sanchez Riera, that the agents had been traveling in two vehicles and came under fire from a car behind them. During the shootout, the agents were also attacked from a nearby settlement.

They were most likely followed by some guys with a cell phone, set up a ambush ahead of them and let their buddies know when they drove into the kill zone.

Posted by Steve 2003-12-2 4:37:09 PM|| 2003-12-2 4:37:09 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Somalia lesson - don't ever flinch or the nextattack will be bigger.

Posted by Super Hose 2003-12-2 6:27:13 PM|| 2003-12-2 6:27:13 PM|| Front Page Top

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