The US military is ALL OVER this hearts and minds concept

Who trained these guys? Who the hell is in charge?

snip>
The average Iraqi at a checkpoint is hot, frustrated, confused, doesn't understand the English commands, and the troops don't have the benefit of a translator. Spec. Carlos Ojeda is sympathetic. "How you treat them in the day is how they will treat us in the night," he says.

One nightly briefing included a "correction" in the Arabic commands being taught to soldiers. Apparently, the command to "get out of here" that they had been using was derogatory and demeaning. But it wasn't until a government-contract translator overheard it and brought it to their attention that the soldiers got a better phrase to use. Now, at least, curious children are not being sworn at when they approach for candy or attention.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/6437805.htm

There are plenty of individual stories in this article that I can't help but sympathize with. It's heartbreaking.

But some of these training issues are going to create an atmosphere that could cost them their lives. Doesn't exactly endear a body when you call their kids names. Don't you figure a class with a dozen venacular phrases might have been a good idea?

They sat in Kuwait for months bored to death. The commanders couldn't find *anyone* to teach them a few vital phrases that weren't INSULTS?

This is the same military, mind you, that FIRED 4 translators because they were gay. I guess they showed them! :eyes:

The commanders couldn't find *anyone* to teach them a few vital phrases that weren't INSULTS?"

You forget that they (ie: our armed forces) were only going to be there for about 27 minutes before the Iraqi people rushed jubilantly into the streets, greeting their "liberators" with the few words of English they had mastered: "Please, sell me as many Americans goods and services as possible right NOW!"

Under such a Cheney/Wolfowitz scenario, why bother our troops into learning one of those sub-human languages that they'll never need at the NASCAR rally?

Now our soldiers and the Iraqi people are paying for their incompetence. Although it is extremely difficult to learn a second language after puberty, the military could have taught the soldiers enough to function.

screwed up this unneeded invasion. This SHOULD be part of the evidence in future war-crimes trials of the entire Administration.

Human translators and learning phrases is so 'Old Army'...

Check out this gem from Poindexter's cubicle:
http://www.darpa.mil/iao/Babylon.htm

The goal of the Babylon program is to develop rapid, two-way, natural language speech translation interfaces and platforms for the warfighter for use in field environments for force protection, refugee processing, and medical triage.

Right. This thing will work correctly in about TEN YEARS.

Not to mention the psychological aspect of our troops sounding like the Ceylons from Battlestar Galactica when they talk, but hey -- the R&D phase has been great money for somebody...

Five bucks says that gizmo will crap out over 85`F.