Obviously, Dutch forces in Uruzgan have many encounters with Afghans. These encounters could involve the interrogation of a captured insurgent, a friendly meeting with a tribal leader, or a session teaching local police officers investigation techniques.
Of course, there aren’t too many Dutch people that speak local Afghan languages… and there aren’t many locals that speak English - or Dutch. So those people who can speak both languages are in high demand. This is where the interpreters - or “terps” - come in. They are often young Afghan men that were lucky enough to have had an education in English. They are hired though an organization that checks their background.
Being a terp with ISAF forces can be a dangerous thing. Afghans working for the Allied forces are considered serious traitors by the Taliban. And when the Taliban gets wind of a terp, the “traitor” and his family could find themselves in serious danger.
Two terps I met in Kamp Holland were willing to talk to me on the record. Because of the safety risk, they did not disclose their names, but they did tell me about what they do, why they chose this dangerous job, and how they feel about the payment for such a job.
Listen to the entire interview here.
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on May 3rd, 2009 at 8:37 pm
[...] The interpreters [...]