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Iraq
Traitors Suspected in Spain's Iraq Deaths
2003-12-03
I mentioned this yesterday...
Spain held a nationally televised funeral Tuesday for seven intelligence agents slain in Iraq amid suspicions that contacts in Iraq working with the agents tipped off their killers. 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 — 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.
I think I'd start my investigation with a long, vigorous talk with those "sources"...
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. Spain had received several threats prior to Saturday's attack and the agents knew their trip was risky. 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.
But Mahmoud the Weasel was on them...
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.
I think I'd be looking for a lot of information to come out of that settlement, too. I'd go knocking on doors with Bradleys.
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#4  It is not surprising that the Spanish are an especial target. The Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan al-Muslimeen) was quite powerful in Spain, and Spanish Muslims and North Africans exiled in Spain attended the various meetings held by the Popular Arab and Islamic Conference (the Terrorist International) held in Khartoum between 1991-96. The Spanish have a real problem with an Islamist Fifth Column, espeically in and around Marbella, Torremolinos and the Costa Esmeralda in Spain.
Posted by: Tancred   2003-12-3 2:09:58 PM  

#3  Same for beepers / text msg systems, in case they have separate comms.
Posted by: .com   2003-12-3 9:33:00 AM  

#2  An observation: if cell phones were not allowed, the timing & coordination for such operations would be almost impossible. It would certainly reduce their effectiveness.

Perhaps a temporary banning of cell phones except for authorized CPA personnel -- land-lines only for the public. Not hard to drop / refuse transmissions from phones lacking a validated ID.

Harsh, but think about the effects. You know the asshats depend upon them for almost all comms.
Posted by: .com   2003-12-3 9:17:50 AM  

#1  From what I've heard, hear-say. The convoy was timed to detonate when the Spanish were on top of the bomba. There must be 5,000,000 bad guys in Iraq.
Posted by: Lucky   2003-12-3 2:26:05 AM  

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