Above — British troops plan an operation with Afghan troops through an interpreter. U.K. Ministry of Defense photo. At top — an Afghan interpreter gazes out a window before a patrol in Ghazni province. U.S. Army photo
Kevin Knodell, War Is Boring: The Long, Slow Betrayal of America’s Interpreters
Facing death, former military translators are walking to Europe with other refugees.
U.S. Marine Aaron Fleming became fast friends with Sami Kazikhani during his deployment to Nimruz province in 2011. Fleming was a member of a team of advisers mentoring Afghan troops, and Kazikhani was one of their interpreters.
The Afghan spoke flawless British-accented English — in no small part due to his time living in London — and speaks as many as five languages with varying degrees of fluency. Fleming shared a bunk with him, and they often talked about their families and their respective travels.
They became so close that when Fleming went on extended patrols and Kazikhani wasn’t with him, the interpreter would call Aaron’s wife Marion with updates on his safety. “He just really gave a shit,” Aaron said of his friend.
WNU Editor: I have been covering stories like this one for the past few years .... No U.S. Visas For Afghan Interpreters. It is a crime that these people have been (and are being) treated this way. And while the focus of this article is on how the Americans have treated their translators, the fact is that most (if not all) of the coalition states (in both Iraq and Afghanistan) have failed in protecting these loyal and valuable soldiers. It also gives a "heads-up" to others that when push comes to shove, the U.S. and its allies will not be there to help you.
Hat Tip to Jay for this story.
2 comments:
Remember Hillary's promise to the Afghan women. "We will not abandon you."
This is a travesty. I do not like Muslim immigration. But if you put it out on the line fir us, then we owe you. Period!
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