The British government recently announced, here, that it would not do anything special for the Iraqis who helped its military efforts there. Rather, the Iraqis must follow the regular refugee processes that all asylum seekers follow to gain asylum protection in the U.K. In practice, the U.S. Government is little better. Earlier this year, it announced that it would admit 7,000 Iraqis as refugees before October. But they have only admitted about 200 so far.
We all know that to be effective, an on-the-ground military effort needs people from the local community. The locals act as interpreters and cultural brokers, helping the troops communicate with the community. They deliver supplies to military bases. They are contractors, cleaners and accountants. Now they are referred to as "collaborators." The "collaborators" are targeted by insurgents in record numbers. They are tortured, raped and murdered. Others are kidnapped and held for ransom, only to be murdered after the ransoms are paid.
If we want democracy to thrive in Iraq, these are exactly the people who will help make that happen -- those who have alrady risked their lives in the name of democracy. If we do not act to save their lives today, who will risk helping us tomorrow?
Comments