CJ Iraqi Interpreter Enlists in US Army
February 23rd, 2008 by CJ
LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Safaa Wadi moved to this former mill city after his life was threatened in his native Iraq while serving as an interpreter for the U.S. Army. He expects to soon head back to Iraq — not as a civilian interpreter, but as a U.S. soldier.
Wadi arrived in the United States in September with a special immigrant visa for Iraqi and Afghan interpreters. But with his savings nearly depleted and unable to land a decent job, Wadi enlisted in the Army. He begins training in South Carolina on Monday.
Wadi isn't worried about returning to Iraq, where many of his countrymen considered him a traitor because he worked with American forces. His allegiance is now to the United States, he says.
"I want to serve this country because this country returned to me my life," Wadi said. "If I had stayed in Iraq, I'd be dead now."
I'm glad that Safaa Wadi deceided to join the Army. The Army needs interpreters I'm sure and he in turn will get benefits while serving. Good call !!
I'm not sure many Americans understand how important the "terps" are to our military personnel nor how much danger they put themselves and their families in when they take on jobs as interpreters for the US and Coalition Forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan. I've had several Soldiers tell me about how important their interpreters were on many levels as well as the danger they face.
Likewise I imagine the interpreters may have some false impression about how life will be like in the US. Having the opportunity to come here is one thing – finding a way to make it once here is another.
I wish Mr Wadi much success in his Army career!
Good for this guy.
I wonder what the liberal stalkers will say…
Isaac:
As an avowed "liberal stalker," I could put together a well-justified and fact-based comment or two that would support a conclusion concerning this matter that you disagree with. But for this time, I'll just state that my best wishes are with Wadi and those like him.
CF,
Ok then, but I still like to ask how you can "support the troops" when people like you label them as brutal killers and don't support the good that they are doing in Iraq.
CF said: "But for this time, I'll just state that my best wishes are with Wadi and those like him."
CF, this is why you haven't been kicked off the site like Mr. Hoop was. From time to time you can still say something nice. It may be few and far between, but it's all I ask for. Liberals can't ALWAYS disagree with us. Thanks for stalking.
FROM N.Y. POST:
C.J. – May I please post this from Vets for Freedom's web site?
BETRAYED BY STATE
By OWEN WEST
February 29, 2008 — AS a Marine, I was taught never to leave a comrade-in-arms behind on the bat tlefield. But that's exactly what the State Department is doing to men and women who've sacrificed everything to help our troops – our Iraqi interpreters.
When I last left Iraq 12 months ago, I promised to save two "terps" marked for assassination. Last month, I received a desperate e-mail from one of them: "Sir my situatione is so bad naw please save my life. Please help me sir."
A year after making my promise, I'm deeply ashamed that I haven't completed the mission. And I'm not alone: To help "their" terps, Marines and soldiers across the country are battling a bureaucracy that is at times more maddening than the Iraqi insurgency.
Shunning those who risk death to help us deliver freedom is un-American.
On my second tour in Iraq in 2006-7, I was posted to an obscure town outside Ramadi to advise an Iraqi battalion. They were hardy soldiers with a hard mission – roadside bombs were commonplace in the area. My team couldn't have functioned without our two interpreters, who I'll call Alex and Reyes.
Soon after a childhood friend accused Alex of collaboration for serving as an interpreter, his brother was tortured to death in a dump. His father disowned him.
Reyes was wounded in a bombing that targeted the US troops for whom he was translating. When he went home to reassure his family, a neighbor saw the neat bandages – and spread the word that Reyes worked for the Americans, making him a marked man.
Iraqi interpreters are men and women without a country. By helping our troops, they're building a better future for Iraq – but they become prime targets for the enemy, and are forsaken even by ordinary Iraqis. Spies and assassins lurk in every city. The police and the army, with their scams and tribal loyalties, don't protect the terps – whose loyalty therefore lies with the Americans.
Alex and Reyes – two combat veterans, proven in loyalty and fluent in Arabic – wanted to become US Marines. Given the challenging stateside recruiting environment, I tried to get them fast-tracked – getting a general to write glowing letters of endorsement.
It took me two months after returning home to assemble the initial documents to apply for a special visa, which included two security screenings by the US military.
The packages then made their way through another screening by the Department of Homeland Security – which eventually forwarded them to State for its own lengthy screening and an entirely new set of paperwork.
Then a State Department clerk wrote to say that both "interrupters" needed new Iraqi passports. It was already clear that interrupting was exactly what State thought the terps were doing.
Bizarrely, State said the new passports were needed to prevent fraud. Yet State knows full well that anyone can get an Iraqi passport by forking over enough cash – top terrorists have two or three.
But you also have to apply in person, waiting in chaotic lines at one of just a few ministry offices. As marked men, the terps had to dress in sweat suits and infiltrate their hometowns to survive in the hours-long wait.
Alex had to pay $750 to get his new passport. Reyes was left in tears when told to come back with his father (who's dead) to prove his identity – or more cash.
Nine months into the whole process, State e-mailed Alex, telling him to report to Jordan with $380 for a visa interview. Another State e-mail informed Reyes that, since he'd served in the Iraqi Army, State needed his military record for its review.
State's requirement of Reyes – finding his Iraqi Ministry of Defense records – is dangerous, meaningless and probably impossible. Trying to get the file would expose him to assassins, and just about the only file you can easily (again, for cash) get from Iraqi government clerks is a forged one.
The problem for Alex was getting into Jordan – where most Iraqis are turned away at the border. (The lucky ones get herded into bribery-infested processing pens like cattle.) I asked State to help him get into Jordan – and last month was told he could pick up an "entry letter" – inside Jordan.
Meanwhile, though, State had cancelled his interview. The closest date it had available would come after his State Department security clearance had expired. He had to start over.
Now I understand why some of my peers have established underground railroads to Jordan – sneaking their terps through like hunted slaves. They've lost faith in their own government.
Iraq vets and terps now call State's paper maze the "waiting to die list" – because it requires interpreters to risk death to purchase passports and cross the border undisguised.
Congress has held hearings. Reporters have done newspaper and TV stories; there's even a play about State's obscene mess. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the top US civilian in Iraq, has complained, citing "major bottlenecks" in a terse memo to State.
President Bush has a duty to intervene. The honorable remedy is to trust the US military: Let a returning brigade that wants to bring some of its interpreters home simply fill out the visa paperwork on base, then carry them along on the aircraft.
Whom should America trust more, the judgment of a Marine or Army brigade commander – or a faceless bureaucrat in Nebraska or Amman?
Owen West, a commodities trader, has served two tours in Iraq with the Marines.
YES,THIS IS THE TRUE ,THIS IS HOW THE IRAQI INTERPRETERS SUFFERING TO GET THE VISAS TO THE USA . MY STORY IS ALLMOST THE SAME STORY,I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH US ARMY SINCE MAY 2005 AND UNTILL THIS TIME I'M TRING TO GET THE VISA BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICALT . I DO DAILY PATROL(MISSION),DURING THESE MISSIONS WE HIT BY 15 IEDs,SNIPPERS TRIED TO SHOOT ME TWOICE ,2 MORTERS,AND 1 HANDGRENADE ,SO FAR.BESIDES ALL THIS ,I CAN NOT GO HOME BECAUSE THE INSURGENTS WERE LOOKING ABOUT ME AND THREATENED MY FAMILY .I DONT EXPECT TOO MUCH BUT I WROTE THIS TO LET THE PEOPLE KNOW AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS TO BE INTERPRETER .
I am one of the few lucky interps who made it safely here. I am living a beautiful life in the States with my wife and kids. I have not had a tough time at the embassy in Damascus were we had the visa interview. Things worked perfectly well with me and my family. I canceled the assistance I used to receive from the goverment after three months when I got an amazing job. I do not want people here or even Iraqi interps to blame the goverment for not extending more help. I have noticed that many Iraqi interps have been conveying stories of their sufferings here in the States, we simply need to know the system here and work accordingly. we should not be asking for more help, the system is perfect and we should be very thankful for all the men who made it work starting from those who shared their houses with us when we arrived here and ending with congress men and president Bush. Thanks for sharing you beautiful country with us, you are not gonna regret it believe me!
HI, I'm Yasir from iraq but i'm living in united states recently ,please can you tell me, How can I work as interpreter with the us army in Iraq ?
hi my name is steve I try to join to the army I am a iraqi terp with us army so if you can help me in any way thank you but i realy need helpe
Well,good for you Wadi i mean hey iam a terp too and i know how it looks like and what the stakes are that's why iam also tring to get my visa and get to the U.S but the embassy here in baghdad is PAIN IN THE ASS they do long and long processing any way , i won't join the army not because i don't like it,iam serving it now and i would be hounord to serve in it too but i just can't goin any army. i just wanna get the hell out of here and get to the U.S.
hello
it's a good to see some iraqi's enlisting the U.S Armed forces but i hope these guys will keep the good work and be loyal to thir country and off ocurse dont forget about iraq and help the iraqi people by giving them a freedom,,thank for the Terp who becocame an interpeter and hope i best for him and his family,,but i hope alway's just proud and dont forget his a greed
AKA IRAQI TERP
hi guys thanks alot for you'r saying about the terps.iam one of them in iraq i 've been working for us army 2 years and just now i'm working on the visa papers am planing to join the army once i get to states..i would love to talk to you guys and to everyone who support the terps in iraq
this is my emil feel free to talk to me anytime i'll be hononerd
larson_larson7@yahoo.com
thanks alot again
larson