Quote:
Originally Posted by swank60
With these younger guys - how do you all communicate with them? Do you have a translator, or are you all speaking some sort of mix between Iraqi and English? (What language do they speak over there, anyway? Is it Arabic or Farsi or what?)
I'm asking because I heard an interesting interview (again with the NPR) with a guy who produced a new documentary - it's like 12 hours of different documentaries put together from a ton of different people. One of the documentaries was done by a crew from Frontline, and they followed a mixed group of Iraqi and US soildiers and police - it was some kind of weapons cache raid - and the film crew was rolling on the Iraqi guys and they were chatting and smoking. When they went into editing, they had a translator look at the footage (I'm assuming it was in editing - I got the feeling it wasn't done on the spot) and the Iraqi guys were saying things like "Yeah, this isn't the real cache, the really big haul is actually at my mother's house…"
Do you ever get that vibe from the guys you're working with? Like they know there's a communication breakdown and they kind of take advantage of it?
Also, do you get any vibes on the tension between the different factions, Like are the guys you're training - is there a Sunni/Shia mix? Or is it only one group of the other? On the news the big focus now is the ethnic tension as being the root of the major violence - what's your take?
Hope you don't mind me asking all of this. This is about our only shot at asking someone on a daily basis about the suck, so I want to jump all over it. 
Stay safe! Hope they keep feeding you like that, too. Looks like you're still eatin' good in the 'hood! |
Yes, we have translators. When we want to conduct business we use the translators. If we are speaking personally with a young Iraqi their English is about like our Arabic but all involved usually get the jist of things. If not we get a translator.
Yes, we always get "that vibe" from the older ones who are in charge of something. Always seems to be alternative motives hidden within. We have to be cautious at all times.
Bad vibes between the factions? Oh, Yeah! Our Iraqi general is a Sunni. Our sister team of Marines are with a Shia general. There is no love between the two generals. Yep, the Sunni and Shia are killing each other. It's crazy and frustrating.