Only Six Fluent in Arabic at U.S. Embassy in Iraq

[Jcrowley]

America's Shame: Brought Low By a Gang of Cretins
Monday, 11 December 2006

Only Six Fluent in Arabic at U.S. Embassy in Iraq (Reuters)
Among the 1,000 people who work in the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, only 33 are Arabic speakers and only six speak the language fluently, according to the Iraq Study Group report released on Wednesday.

This tells you pretty much all you need to know about the American debacle in Iraq. Imagine the arrogance and stupidity of conquering, occupying and trying to run a country without being able to speak its language. A nation of 26 million people – and your embassy has only six people who can actually understand what is being said, written, and broadcast there. This is a folly that amounts to a monstrous crime in itself, aside from the inherent evil of launching an unprovoked war of aggression.

Evil is the only word to describe the wilful ignorance at work throughout the entire process of the Iraq War, from its inception to its execution to the catastrophic endgame now unfolding before our eyes. The reality of the situation is almost unimaginable, almost unendurable: that the most powerful nation in the history of the world has thrown itself, deliberately, for no compelling reason whatsoever beyond the selfish interests of a few elitist cliques, into a cauldron of mass murder and moral ruin, whose financial, political and spiritual costs will be felt, with deep suffering, for generations.

http://www.chris-floyd.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=956&Itemid=135

[marmar]

1. What a fucking disgrace....

The Iraqis must feel like there's a big, nasty stray dog around that they can't get rid of.

[Kagemusha]

2. Typical colonial behavior

just with less experience and competence.

[JackBeck]

3. Why should we be forced to speak Arabic?

Iraqi's should be speaking our language.

:sarcasm:

[TahitiNut]

9. I'm surprised the Cheney/Bush regime didn't make English the "official language" ...

... in Iraq's Constitution. :sarcasm:

[msongs]

4. too bad they canned all those gay soldiers that spoke arabic eh? nt

[Selah]

5. What is protocol for translaters Vs. population?

[newyawker99]

7. Hi Selah!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

6. I went to school with someone there,

I went to school with one of the retards posted to the "green zone". Prior to the Iraq war he was a substitute teacher/waiter/dj/bum.

I don't have a clue what he is doing there - but I am sure he isn't doing a very good job.

[treestar]

8. Abroad many more people than you might think know English

already.

Granted this sounds bad and probably does reflect our arrogance, though.