The 102 interpreters who have assisted the Dutch military mission in Afghanistan are angry. Although they have risked their lives for the country, the Netherlands has abandoned them. The Americans, by comparison, are allowing their interpreters and translators to apply for visas to travel to the United States.
The Afghan interpreters are not actually permitted to talk to journalists but they don't care any more. With the Dutch leaving the southern province of Uruzgan soon - on 1 August - their contracts have been terminated. They feel they are being forced to return to their families. But that's part of the problem - they complain in interviews with Radio Netherlands Worldwide - they are afraid the enemy will target them – and hence possibly their loved ones too - for working with the "heathens".
High-value targets
"The Taliban know how important we are. Ideally they'd like to shoot dead a Dutchman but we interpreters are the number two high-value target," explains one of the interpreters, who has spent four years with the Dutch troops.
"The Taliban know we are the eyes and ears of the Dutch mission. If they kill us, the Netherlands can't get as much done. Our translation work has helped pull the Dutch guys through this war. We listen to radio messages and we can tell them which direction the enemy will be shooting from. We have saved many Dutch lives and that is why the Taliban will do everything they can to track us down."
One of the interpreters - in his twenties and like his colleagues afraid his name may be known to the Taliban - doesn't go home any more when he has leave. "There are many armed groups in Afghanistan these days which hate the foreigners. So associating with them is no longer popular. And it's extremely dangerous."
Another says he stays indoors during his holidays hoping he will not be noticed. In May, four "terps" - as they call themselves - were murdered in eastern Afghanistan for working with the Americans.
Visas for the United States
The United States has a special immigrant visa programme for translators and interpreters from Afghanistan and Iraq who fear for their lives after working with Westerners. Dozens of US visas are issued to interpreters each year, sometimes to their families too.
An interpreter who has been active since the Dutch mission started says the Afghans in Camp Holland assumed the Netherlands would do something similar. "Not so. The Dutch just say: bye, thank you, good luck."
The Dutch defence ministry confirms that all contracts have been "formally ended". It does not feel any responsibility since "they belong to NATO not to the Netherlands". A spokesperson said "We have told our successors, the Americans and Australians, these guys are good translators, take them over. So I think they'll land on their feet."
The younger translators, however, don't want to work for the Americans or the Australians even though the Dutch have asked them to. The first 11 who tried it, gave up after a week or two and went home. "The Americans and Australians are violent and I don't want to be involved," said one of them. "We worked together on the Dutch approach and it's been working out here in Uruzgan."
'Don't shoot at the greys'
They have even heard on Taliban radio that some of them agree. "One time we heard the Taliban saying: don't shoot at the greys, shoot at the dots. We wear grey and the dots are the Americans."
One of these young Afghan men becomes quite emotional:
"We helped them with everything, wore the same uniform, we were real mates with your soldiers in the field. I don't understand how they can just abandon us."
They asked one of the generals about their future. "He said: you probably won't get a visa for the Netherlands. Ours is a small country."
Bitter past
Some politicians in the Netherlands are concerned about the fate of the Afghan translators. The Dutch attitude towards interpreters has been a controversial issue in the recent past too, and one that has left a bitter taste. During the Serb capture of Srebrenica in Bosnia in 1995, for instance, the relatives of one interpreter disappeared after the Dutchbat mission refused to provide them with protection.
_0.jpg "Afghan interpreter during village visit (photo Hans de Vreij)")
_0.jpg "Afghan interpreter during patrol (photo Sjoerd Hilckmann, AVDD)")
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wow that is just wrong, how can they justify abandoning these people after all the assistance they received i am glad that the US took a different approach.
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Shame on these westren countries. They are talking too much about human rights rights rights and and and and and and , they do nothing. OUr ears are full of shit now. They are only after their interests, they don't care even if a translator die for them. A translator wear the same uniform, walk with them, face bombs & bullets with them & in return they give the terps ..."Thank YOu and be safe"
Do you guys have morals & gratitude? Do you guys know if someone help you , guide you and show you the road then what should you do? Just thanks.
I think the terps & Afghans should learn a lesson from this and they shouldn't consider these ppl friends.
They will leave you in middle of the path,,,they don't care of anything, they care only of their interests. They don't care wether some one is dying for them or what. Shame on All afghan terps as well. In first place don't help them.
The world we live in is complicated enough. Do the right thing. Nothing could be simpler than rewarding loyal service with a helping hand in dangerous times. It is never going to get better for them if we are so confused about something as basic as this. I'm sick and tired of our "cleverness" at every turn. We are led by fools.
Sad...
While not perfect, Canada is trying to bring at least some who've helped Canadian troops to Canada - this from the Canadian Press:
More than a year after Ottawa promised to fast-track immigration applications for Afghan translators a narrow list of applicants who meet the criteria to come to Canada has been compiled.
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney originally announced the program for Afghans who face "extraordinary personal risk" in support of Canada's mission to Kandahar.
But out of 114 applications only 25, or roughly 21 per cent, have been approved to come to Canada by the joint committee made up of officials from the departments of National Defence, Foreign Affairs, International Development and Immigration and Citizenship. The committee works in conjunction with the International Organization for Migration, an intergovernmental agency ....
A bit more of the background/history here, here and here.
They would make good immigrants, I guess.
I’m ashamed of my own country. These people have deserved anything they asked for. My son is getting ready for his 2nd tour in Afghanistan and he thinks the world of these men/woman. They are risking they’re lives for working for us and its not all about money, the latter are educated and motivated young people and they are an asset to their country if the time is there. But for now that is impossible and until then we should welcome them with open arms.
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