New details [have] emerged about clashes on Saturday in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, which left five Americans dead. Lt. Col. Scott R. Bleichwehl, an American military spokesman, said the gunmen who stormed the provincial governor’s office during a meeting between American and local officials were wearing what appeared to be American military uniforms in an effort to impersonate U.S. soldiers.

The tactic isn’t new. Any student of military history recalls Germans doing this in the counterattack that became the Battle of the Bulge in WW2

This was the regular weekly meeting on security, btw.

Bleichwehl declined to provide further details about the Karbala attackers, emphasizing that the attack was still being investigated. But Iraqi officials said the gunmen disguised their intent with uniforms, American flak jackets, guns and a convoy of at least seven GMC sport utility vehicles, which are usually used by American officials in Iraq.

Karbala’s provincial governor, Akeel al-Khazaali, said at a news conference that the local police at a checkpoint on the city’s edge waved the vehicles through because they believed the convoy held important Americans. At other checkpoints, the police said, the vehicles sped through without stopping.

You should understand that this kind of behavior by American military forces wouldn’t be unusual. The security regs are not supposed to “hinder” Americans.

The sport utility vehicles also held clues of the attackers’ elaborate efforts to pass as American. One had a sign on its back window warning drivers to stay back, in English and Arabic, the authorities said, a close copy of those used on some official American vehicles. They also said a bag of civilian American clothing, guns and body armor had been found in the vehicles.

Iraqi soldiers interviewed on CNN were asked why they didn’t jump into action and help the US soldiers. Essentially, they said they figured it was just Americans killing Americans.