Fear of Sabotage by Mistranslation at Guantánamo

The New York Times ^ | October 7, 2003 | ERIC SCHMITT and THOM SHANKER

[undeniable logic]

Keep it simple.

No Muslim translators.

I agree in principle, but what choice do we have right now. How many Americans decide to learn Arabic as a foreign language? Obviously long-term we would want to racially profile for a role like this, but even now, there aren't even enough Muslim translators. This is a HUGE problem and I think it makes it especially important that we implement the type of system I was recommending.

[harpseal]

Anyone who took a veitnamese traslator's word for what the local was saying was "Dinky dau." However it was wise to keep any knowledge of the language that would convict a translator for giving us the wrong info quiet so that said translator who was then shown to be enemy wuld provide good intel.

[Squantos]

The simple phrase ......Hom qua tao choi me may do ...... always seemed to bring Charles to the surface.

Stay Safe Harpseal..........hope yer day is easy !

[Fred Mertz]

How long is the military allowed to detain some of these guys, like Yee, without charges? I forget if it's 30 or 60 days. IIRCorrectly, Yee was first detained on 10 September so he's approaching his 30 day mark.

[Redbob]

"...senior Pentagon officials have in recent days sought to give the impression that the military is on top the investigation."

SORRY!
Too late!

[Aquinasfan]

The concerns about the reliability of some of the camp's 70 military and civilian linguists only add to the growing mystery surrounding the motives and objectives of as many as 10 people who worked at the camp

Vewy mystewious.

Can the NY Times name a religion that begins with the letter "I"?

[Aquinasfan]

Undeniably logical.

Ditto. Great idea.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Training Army (and everybody else's) Linguists

My son is out there now. They're killing him mentally, and he is a smart young man. Gets headaches every night. Arabic is is right up there amongst the most difficult of languages for native English-speakers to learn.

[blam]

"For instance, court documents filed in Airman al-Halabi's case show that Air Force authorities were monitoring the airman, a Syrian-born supply clerk, before he was sent to Guantánamo Bay in November 2002 "

I like learning this bit of info.

[river rat]

Bingo!
That is so beautifully simple and elegant - it is certain that NO bureaucrat could arrive at that approach....

Semper Fi

[aristeides]

That is so beautifully simple and elegant - it is certain that NO bureaucrat could arrive at that approach....

But bureaucrats have done it in the past. A very large proportion of our German interpreters and translators in World War Two were Jewish refugees from Hitler's Germany.

[aristeides]

How long is the military allowed to detain some of these guys, like Yee, without charges?

I don't recall either.

[Cindy]

re post no. 19 -- Some Links you may find interesting:

WorldNetDaily.com: "FBI INVITES MUSLIM SCHOLARS TO PREACH New Islamic Sensitivity Training Program Required of Federal Agents, New Recruits" by Paul Sperry (July 30, 2003) (Read More...)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE - Public Announcement: "WORLDWIDE CAUTION" (September 26, 2003) (Read More...)

FBI.gov - War On Terrorism: "SEEKING INFORMATION" (Read More...)

FBI.gov: "MOST WANTED TERRORISTS" (Read More...)

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001: "ATTACK ON AMERICA!" (UPDATED DAILY)