Video: Terps
posted at 10:15 am on August 11, 2007 by Bryan
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
Allah linked this column arguing for the killing of terps yesterday. It’s foul. Just foul. And beyond ironic, that a Western writer who appears to be rooting for the insurgents in Iraq would call anyone else a “Quisling,” let alone calling Iraqi interpreters “Quislings.”
Interpreters, or “terps” in militaryspeak, are unsung heroes of the Iraq war. Actually, any Iraqi who has had the courage to work with the US as we try to rebuild Iraq deserves the title “hero,” but the terps are a special case. Without them, the US military simply could not work counterinsurgency strategy effectively, as COIN requires day to day interaction and communication with the local populace where they live and breathe. But because they work with the US, terps become marked men and women. The militias, the insurgents, al Qaeda, really nearly every side in the fight has some reason to kill them and thus discourage anyone from working with the US. Many have been assassinated. Those who are still working with the US face daily threats and a very uncertain future. If we leave an unstable Iraq or if we don’t provide for their escape, we’re leaving the terps to their deaths. It’s that simple.
Here’s a CNN story that profiles several terps. I remember “Ronnie” from our time at FOB Justice. Click to play.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages:
I thought the Iraqis wouldn’t stand up for their own country. Hmmmm…….
D0WNT0WN on August 11, 2007 at 10:25 AM
Great post, Bryan. The Iraqis are not given enough credit for all they are doing to stand up and fight (or risk death by being interpreters or informants, etc) for their country.
There is a natural cynicism and skepticism ingrained in the Middle East for anything to do with the West, especially America. It has taken this long just to gain their trust. Now that we have it, we need to give the Coalition and the Iraqis working with it the time they need to complete their mission.
Keep bringing us these stories, Bryan. I read them a lot on the Milblogs, especially on Mrs. Greyhawk’s DAWN PATROLs (http://www.MudvilleGazette.com), but I am glad to see them being posted more frequently on HotAir as well.
Keep up the good work.
Michael in MI on August 11, 2007 at 10:26 AM
So let me get this straight–there are legislators who have no problem keeping illegals here, but there are visas available for only a fraction of these brave souls.
Terps–doing the jobs that no one else can do. and getting squat.
Kimmer on August 11, 2007 at 11:31 AM
All the blood spilled and all the treasure spent will have been for nothing. The Iraqis that love freedom and believed in us and helped us, will be slaughtered. And Democrats will have managed to give America it’s second Vietnam and they will be overjoyed by it.
Maxx on August 11, 2007 at 11:47 AM
This speaks loudly to Islam that the USA has no honor and leaves their own behind. Now they don’t have to use what this country did to our allies in SE Asia as an example, we’ve managed to do it again. It’s just this time, our enemy is here and has already hit us at home.
Somewhere, deep in the collective mind of this nation, we want to fight a war with tremendous losses and against impossible odds in order to just survive…and we’re on our way thanks to the Dems and a growing number of Republicans in power.
Hening on August 11, 2007 at 11:48 AM
Thank our friends at State for a lot of this. Ronnie and his family are the simply the wrong kind of woggies dontcha know? Now that Atta chap, he was a good one .
You think i’m kidding? Take a look at how arbitrary and capricious this all is. there’s a catch all called Section 214B that allows a Visa interviewer to reject “just because” It’s as much to blame for the illegals as anything else. It causes people with nothing but good intention and respect for this country to have a major change of heart . The ‘terps are the beneficiaries of this mindset. Nice , huh?
gatorbait on August 11, 2007 at 11:52 AM
The Question that the Dems must be forced to answer:
If we abandon these friends now, who will be our friends somewhere else?
TunaTalon on August 11, 2007 at 12:02 PM
The Dems dont have any friends, how can they can answer a question they cant comprehend..
Viper1 on August 11, 2007 at 12:16 PM
The courage of the Iraqi interpreters simply amazes me. They are putting everything—their economic livelihood, education, their marriages, their loved one, their future, themselves, indeed their very lives—on the line.
It humbles me when I consider their daily sacrifices that they are making while I am sitting right here in an air-conditioned office and not even fearing if someone is going to kill me or my family members.
ColtsFan on August 11, 2007 at 12:17 PM
Some Iraqis are standing up. Problem is, there aren’t yet enough of them doing so because they either fear for their lives or they decide to take insurgent money.
We need more Iraqis like these “terps” if Iraq is to be stablized. Then again, that probably goes w/o saying…
CliffHanger on August 11, 2007 at 12:17 PM
http://www.neilclark66.blogspot.com has been removed
good thing too, cuz I was gonna leave him a death threat… I don’t think I’ve ever been so P.O.’d
these “Terps” are some of the bravest people I’ve ever seen.
one of them can come live with me. I only live in a 1 bedroom flat, so theres not much room, but you can have the bed…
the Terps
Kaptain Amerika on August 11, 2007 at 12:38 PM
That’s exactly the kind of crap we don’t need here at HotAir.
Maxx on August 11, 2007 at 1:07 PM
well I didn’t …
and why would you care? is he your favorite murder inciter?
those that call for the murder of others, in public. open themselves to be threatened.
and all I did was say what everyone here with an ounce of American blood wanted too.
Kaptain Amerika on August 11, 2007 at 1:20 PM
Kaptain Amerika on August 11, 2007 at 1:20 PM
You should have considered that admonishment by a mere commenter who is nobody, I can assure you the moderators take an even dimmer view.
Maxx on August 11, 2007 at 1:27 PM
From the article by Neil Clark…..
Why is it that idiots like this guy completely ignore the fact that Iraq was under UN sanctions, THAT IT AGREED TO IN 1991, as conditions of it’s defeat after Gulf War I? Conditions that were established because SADDAM WAS THE ARCHITECT OF “THE SUPREME INTERNATIONAL CRIME” AGAINST KUWAIT!!! He launched a war of aggression against a sovereign state!
Where is the outrage at these lies propagated by lefty loons?
csdeven on August 11, 2007 at 1:51 PM
Terps will vote republican.
csdeven on August 11, 2007 at 2:06 PM
Thank you Bryan. Another great post. I read Clark’s story yesterday. But something I didn’t think of until today, was he and his ilk (if you will) are the ones up in arms over the gay interpreters being fired aren’t they? And again I’m stuck on the fact of the cut and run types. Loss at any price.
PowWow on August 11, 2007 at 8:11 PM
well that’s who I work all day and night to impress is moderators… I tell it how I see it!
why don’t you send your outrage to someone who cares… OLBY and the OUTRAGED LEFT…
I’m talking about people who are calling for the murder of innocents… I have no time to reply to your nonsense… and I’m done doing so.
Kaptain Amerika on August 11, 2007 at 9:16 PM
At this plant here outside the green zone, there have been several of our local nationals killed just because they were working with us. Some followed home and shot, some captured and beheaded (posted on the internet, naturally), and some just disappeared and found days later in the neighborhood.
I can not help but admire the ones who are still here. They have to leave our secure area each day and run the risk of ending up like the ones I mentioned above. But they do it to make a little money so their families have a better life, and they do it to restore power to their city.
The people in the states who oppose us being here now, and are willing to abandon everything that has been accomplished, just to win the next election, should come here and work for just one month. They could see for their own eyes the fear the people here have should that happen.
Giving up now, so close to stabilizing this country, would only insure our return in a few years under much more difficult cicumstances.
Texas Nick 77 on August 12, 2007 at 9:02 AM
Hi Bryan, I know this was a little while ago, do you know if Hammer ever got a sponsor or got to the US with his family?
4shoes on October 2, 2007 at 10:35 AM
Comment pages: