Comments on: Iraqi interpreters coming to Australia

By: john i

john i — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:25:48 +0000

Having first hand family experience of the situation of Iraqi refugees in Amman, many of whom had worked with American forces, I am ashamed at the absolutely glacial pace and tiny scope of what the US is doing for these people. They are truly stuck. Many are working on the black market as cab drivers and trying not to get deported back by the Jordanians while the US takes months and years to triple check that all who apply for refugee status never had any sort of Baath ties, never mind their very dangerous service to the US cause. Bah.

-j

By: abb1

abb1 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:42:08 +0000

…America is still attempting to ‘spread’ it [civilization], for better or for worse.

That’s your interpretation. More obvious interpretation would be that ‘America’ (the Bushies, that is) don’t give a hoot about translators or civilization.

By: Sk

Sk — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:30:08 +0000

please go away

By: Shan

Shan — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:46:13 +0000

@6 “wasn’t the point to build an independent country”

I think that became the selling point. I seem to recall us marching off to war because Saddam posed this imminent WMD threat &c. &c.

You have to smile because the alternatives are pretty grim!

By: Mikhail

Mikhail — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:30:05 +0000

While supporting wholeheartedly the adherence of Australian government to its commitment to these people who helped soldiers in difficult time & place, I cannot help but wonder… doesn’t this totally defeat the purpose? wasn’t the point to build an independent country, not one which the soldiers and anyone who is associated with them would have to flee sooner or later…?

By: abb1

abb1 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:05:19 +0000

I looked high and low for a certified translator of Farsi and in the Boston area it should be a snap

Greensmile, I’m not a lawyer, but are you sure you really need a certified translator? Translate it yourself, have someone (anyone) confirm that the translation is correct and notarize his/her signature – and I’m pretty sure it’ll count as a valid affidavit.

By: Witt

Witt — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:54:14 +0000

I’ve probably linked this before, but the intense frustration of the glacial pace of US admitance of Iraqi refugees is compounded by their troubles locating employment, as illustrated here:

LEWISTON, Maine – Safaa Wadi moved to this former mill city after his life was threatened in his native Iraq while serving as an interpreter for the US Army. He expects to soon head back to Iraq – not as a civilian interpreter, but as a US soldier.

Mr. Wadi arrived in the United States in September with a special immigrant visa for Iraqi and Afghan interpreters. But with his savings nearly depleted and unable to land a decent job, Wadi enlisted in the Army.

By: greensmile

greensmile — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:49:32 +0000

This makes US immigration policy and particularly US reluctance to take on Iraqis via refugee status look so stupid.

My employer has required me to get our marriage certificate translated for purposes of documenting legitimacy of insurance coverage for dependents. That is another stupidity in its own right and a vexation but I digress. I looked high and low for a certified translator of Farsi and in the Boston area it should be a snap…but none found yet. My old employers, SAIC, is absolutely begging for people literate in Arabic or Farsi to work in certain of its DC-area offices…you could make a damn nice wage just for knowing how to read if you could get through all the security clearance hoops.

I think Oz has just scored a windfall and should contact SAIC and other such US employers about outsourcing for skills the US denys itself.

By: SG

SG — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:39:27 +0000

So, another example perhaps of how Rudd is not quite the Tony Blair many cynical observers were expecting…?

By: Sk

Sk — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:37:03 +0000

Stupid snark from banned commenter deleted