Last year there was a brief flurry of activity from a small group of bloggers worried about the treatment received by Iraq military translators. The issue went quiet for a while, particularly while Dan Hardie was in Afghanistan and the surge seemed to be working, but now it’s coming right back again. Spencer Ackerman at the Washington Independent (via the Danger Room):
Form D/4a from the Iraqi Ministry of Finance is sending waves of anxiety through the community of Iraqis who work as linguists, translators and interpreters for the U.S. military in Iraq. For the “terps,” as many U.S. troops and diplomats call them, the form is a prelude to a disaster. Unless their identities are kept a closely guarded secret, they fear, they and their families will be hunted by insurgents, militias and death squads — many of whom are tied to or work for the Iraqi government — for collaborating with the U.S. military.
Those translators are right to be concerned given the likelihood that Iraq will start yo-yoing like crazy as the effects of the surge settle back and the US withdraws its forces. It is perhaps time to bring the subject up again…
Tags: Iraq translators