Posted on 05/14/2008 6:54:22 AM PDT by Dawnsblood
As for the point about Arabic translators needed for Afghanistan, the Obama campaign points to the well-documented presence of foreign fighters there, many of whom do speak Arabic. However, these folks are mostly shooting at NATO troops, not talking to them.
No doubt there are a handful of Arabic speakers employed at Bagram and Kandahar and other detention centers to interrogate foreign fighters captured on the battlefield. But I have not seen any reports that there is a shortage of such personnel, or that the need for such translators in Iraq has hamstrung the interrogators in Afghanistan.
Foreign fighters captured in BOTH Iraq and Afghanistan have also been sent to detention centers such as the one in Guantanamo. Is there a shortage of Arabic translators there or at other U.S. detention facilities overseas? That would be an interesting news story. Again, I haven't seen any proof of it.
To reiterate: Obama's main point may well be fair: that Iraq has made Afghanistan tougher to win by stretching our resources too thin. But are these really the best examples for him to cite of why this may be the case?
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.abcnews.com ...
I work everyday with linguists, some of whom speak Arabic. And we’re pretty much barred from going to Iraq and Afghanistan. So there!
Foot in Mouth Disease. I can’t understand libs wanting to elect this moron, but he’s their gal.
the Klintoons must have pulled out the old FBI files or something...........
Yes, but it’s on ABC’s blog subsection. We’ll see if this item gets picked up by anybody else and gets any real coverage. It is a newsworthy blunder. Drudge?
"Did I say they speak Sanskrit in China?"
Yours is a racist monkey
The ABC blog has been amazingly willing to show Dem gaffes recently, IMO. There was another recently. Maybe it’s just Jake Tapper’s doing, but it is nice to see some more fair coverage. Obama speaks well when it’s someone else’s words. He is lousy off the cuff.
Not only is it a gaff, I am convinced it is a gaffe as well.
Sorry about that. I am one of those stupid rednecks with a gun rack in my pickem up truck.
This racist creep believes in 57 states and makes this statement re translators.
God Help US if he is elected.
No worries. I was just having some fun. I misspell too sometimes when I get in a hurry.
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