Since the invasion of Iraq, the British have hired dozens of Iraqis to serve as interpreters to help mediate their relationship with the local population. Rightly or wrongly, these people are seen as collaborators by the resistance. Many have received death threats. An alarming number have been kidnapped and killed. As a result, some have been forced to flee the country and seek safe haven elsewhere. You'd think that the British government would recognise that it owed these people something, and that they would provide sanctuary until it was safe for them to return. But you'd be wrong. Instead, the UK has simply abandoned them.
No matter what you think of the occupation, its an appalling display on ingratitude by the British. And it certainly won't be convincing Iraqis to cooperate with them in the future.
I got the impression that the UK was simply abandoning Iraq, rather than picking on any special group of Iraqis. Their govt never struck me as having much time for moral considerations, or even practical ones. Or perhaps I get too much exposure to stuff like their "one true ID card" nonsense and not enough to the astonishingly excellent public health programs?
ReplyDeleteBut are you really surprised by this abandonment? Its just par for the course. The more I read of British involvement in other countries affairs (from the the very beginings of their expansionist visions) they have had little sympathy with the actual inhabitants of the country they are meddling with. The same goes for the behaviour of the USA of course.
ReplyDeleteThat in no way excuses this latest outrage.
There is always somthign to complain about. once you get involved in somwhere like iraq your web of obligations spreads out so far that you can never untangle yourself without creating this situation.
ReplyDeleteAlso many might say if the british were wrong then these guys were wrong. if the british changes their mind about themselves maybe they should also change it about their colaborators. Otherwise you might as well say the british should be grateful to the US for their asistance.
There was an interesting interview on Nine to Noon a few weeks back with an American woman who acted as an interpreter for a military unit. She made a very real difference to the relations with the locals and no doubt prevented a number of unnecessary deaths as a result. Of course being an American, and part of the armed forces, she was not left high and dry like her Iraqi counter-parts. Very sad indeed.
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