Posted on 10/09/2004 7:17:32 AM PDT by Calpernia
Excellent article. Good find NW_AZ!
Ping
much to do about nothing.... you should have seen the back log with the ole soviet union stuff..... and the china stuff.... and the drug lord stuff... and ...
you can never buy or get enough translators..... never .... it s like hard disk size what ever size you have you will need more..
ping
I believe that the US should offer a program that teaches Arabic to US military members that are separating from the military.
They should be paid very well.
>>>I believe that the US should offer a program that teaches Arabic to US military members
I think they do. All the members I know that specialize in Asian affairs have to learn the language.
I'm talking about offering it to members separating from the military with various job descriptions, as long as they meet certain aptitude requirements.
Considering soldiers, sailors and airmen with a Top Secret security clearance is another plus, as it will help cut down on the cost of the background investigation. In the end, you have new FBI/CIA members who have demonstrated some form of loyalty to the US and have a form of discipline that this job seems to require.
When I was in the Navy, everybody had to do what was called "cross-training" -- you learned something other than your primary duty. This was not intended to make one an expert in the new subject, but it did assure that someone else would have some idea of what to do in the event of catastrophic circumstances.
>>>I'm talking about offering it to members separating from the military with various job descriptions, as long as they meet certain aptitude requirements.
Then that is a good idea.
Bump!
Bump
"I believe that the US should offer a program that teaches Arabic to US military members that are separating from the military.
"
Well, that would work....in about three or four years. Learning a language well enough to translate tapes of spoken Arabic ain't easy. I know. I was a Russian linguist in the USAF. After our year of full-immersion language training, I was ready to do a good job about two years later, and I was #1 in our class.
Your idea is an oversimplification of the task.
Very interesting, I wish I knew other languages.
I really think kerry has stepped in it a few times in these debates.
He openly talks about things as to help the enemy.
It's disgusting how he leaves us open for pinpoint attacks.
He tells the world where we are vulnerable.
90% of our containers are not inspected, our luggage gets checked,
but the cargo hold isn't.
He needs to shut up and someone needs to tell him so.
There is no easy way.
Simply put, we need to refrain from using Arabs to do the job, as their allegiances are more likely to be toward those we investigate, than would be any American born person.
We need people to do this with last names like Smith and Jones.
There are Sephardic Jews and Egyptian Coptic christians who would be more than willing to translate.
That is acceptable in my mind, but we also can't be as sure that these people won't spy against to their own nations.
No offense, but our own allies spy against us.
Use the Medieval Italian method. Get a translator from both aformentioned communities and quietly toss in one of our own. See if there are discrepancies. This method was successful for them.
My concern is not as much over accuracy, as it is over trusting foreign born translators.
That
I was alluding to that. However in Brooklyn there are thousands of American born Sephardis.
The reason it wasn't picked up is because Richard Clarke told Sandy Burger about this problem while Clinton was President back in 1998. As such, that would mean Sen. Kerry was well aware of it, but since Sandy Berger was caught stealing documents relating to this communication, I'm sure the editors decided it would just be too sticky for Sen. Kerry and gave him a pass on it.
Links to all of this information on FR.
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