Pentagon IG has just one Arabic-speaking auditor.
Pentagon IG has just one Arabic-speaking auditor.
In a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing today on waste, fraud, and abuse, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) questioned two Iraq watchdogs on how many of their auditors speak Arabic. Pentagon Inspector General Claude Kicklighter responded that of 196 auditors, just one speaks Arabic. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen said that his team has only four. Watch it:
Last year, the New York Times reported that just “29 of the 610 people deployed in Iraq as part of the provincial reconstruction program have extensive knowledge of Arabic culture, history and language.”
Transcript:
LEAHY: And we will have questions.
Just one thought occurs to me. I just want to make sure understand. The number of auditors going in there, how many speak the language?
KICKLIGHTER: Sir, I would say very few, if any.
LEAHY: Thank you. I was afraid of that.
Mr. Bowen?
BOWEN: Thank you, Senator Leahy.
And just on that point, I have three auditors on my staff who speak Arabic and one investigator. So, we are — that has enhanced our capacity to provide oversight and engage with the Iraqis.
LEAHY: Thank you.
KICKLIGHTER: We have one.
LEAHY: Thank you.
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And these assclowns probably think that’s one too many.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:37 pmKickharder, Leahy! Kickharder!
March 11th, 2008 at 1:38 pmSo, we are — that has enhanced our capacity to provide oversight and engage with the Iraqis.
Like ENHANCED interrorgation techniques? Geeaz, he thinks having ONE staffer who speaks arabic ENHANCES his ability to.. never mind..
March 11th, 2008 at 1:38 pmThey want to destroy and rebuild Iraq.
To hell with their culture, or what they want.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:39 pmRighties are asking all immigrants to speak English.
What makes them think we can into Iraq with no one speaking the language?
Double standard? Of course. Do as I say, not as I do. -GWB
March 11th, 2008 at 1:41 pmBut what are their politics? Did the Heritage Foundation apaprove them?
March 11th, 2008 at 1:43 pmGood point Marie! Are they all Liberty U grads??
March 11th, 2008 at 1:44 pmThese guy’s need to stop pissing around and start impeaching….I’m sick of the whole mess…..Blessings all, try to have a good day….I’m gonna go and hug a puppy and some trees….
March 11th, 2008 at 1:44 pmThe only way the USA wants to engage in the Middle East is with a gun. No need to speak any language… for the reason given to be there has nothing to do with what the War Criminals in the Pentagon and in WH have told us.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:45 pmWow, I wonder why very few Arabs would want to work for this administrations????
maybe because its bombing the sh*t out of their countries
March 11th, 2008 at 1:46 pmNo surprise here. Arabic’s really hard, ok? All idafa structures and triconsonant roots and genitive duals and moon letters… gah!
March 11th, 2008 at 1:47 pmNo wonder this fiasco has been such a clusterfu(k. We’ve forgotten some of the basic maxims of effective warfare (like not killing loads of civilians or torturing your detainees). These morons couldn’t successfully undertake a spelling bee, much less an illegal war and occupation.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:48 pmThey must be communicating with hand signals.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:49 pmI’m sure they must be very familiar with one in particular.
Oh, my freaking blood pressure – !!!!
~L. Hussein Annie
March 11th, 2008 at 1:51 pmArabic? Arabic! We don’ need no stinkin Arabic speakers!
March 11th, 2008 at 1:52 pmIf you talk REALLY LOUD, anyone can understand English.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:53 pmRighties are asking all immigrants to speak English.
What makes them think we can into Iraq with no one speaking the language?
Comment by Zimzone — March 11, 2008 @ 1:41 pm
Very simple. Righties just expect that the entire world should speak English. Whatever makes life easier for us, you know.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:53 pmThis is the perfect story of how the wars were lost from day 1. this is the perfect example of Republican malfeasance, incompetence and treason. This one story should turn the GOP out of office forever.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:54 pmBush/co, cronyism and loyalty to King George over qualifications or experience.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:55 pmWhat do they need Arabic speakers for, all the real crooks speak English, KRB, Blackwater, Haliburton. Besides they alienated all of the Arab speakers by kicking them out of the military because they were gay.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:56 pmHow are the rethugs going to prove government doesn’t work if they have a department that actually works?
March 11th, 2008 at 1:57 pmThe transcript appears to suggest that Kicklighter and Bowen were itching to answer the question. Are the rank and file getting frank and riled?
March 11th, 2008 at 1:59 pmIf we torture them hard enough, then they’ll learn to speak English.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:59 pmThe US, EU, and Egypt have all criticised the latest Israeli settlement construction. The Arab League warned that the settlement projects put the negotiations within “a hair’s breadth” of failure.
Staunch ally the United States said the new construction was “unhelpful” to the peace process which was revived at a US conference in November but has yet to make much headway.
AT LAST
March 11th, 2008 at 2:01 pmYou would think 5 years would be enough for a few people to order some Pimsleur CDs.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:02 pmJapanese leaders urge a fresh look at the treaty governing U.S. troops in Japan amid uproar over the crimes committed by them in the country.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:03 pmAs Representative King would surely tell the Pentagon, Arab speakers aren’t hard to find. They’re dancing in the streets everywhere.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:03 pmIf you talk REALLY LOUD, anyone can understand English.
Comment by Zimzone — March 11, 2008 @ 1:53 pm
Even the deaf!!!!! Too funny!
March 11th, 2008 at 2:06 pmWhite House Press Secretary Dana Perino mentioned in a press conference that she is not allowed to talk about the value of the U.S. Dollar. She says that the Treasury Secretary is the only one allowed to discuss the U.S. Dollar. She even said that she would be fired if she talked about the U.S. Dollar.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:07 pm….what a complete f. joke. these jerkoffs are telling each and everyone of us that they don’t give a damn every time they open there mouths. the american folks complain, whine, and cry over no oversight, the privacy, we don’t know our candidates and the connections. well…..get on the pc and search. apply a little common sense, follow the money and those attatched. no pc….well library, friends….. there is absolutely no excuse for being uniformed and folks this is our duty
March 11th, 2008 at 2:07 pm“Last year, the New York Times reported that just “29 of the 610 people deployed in Iraq as part of the provincial reconstruction program have extensive knowledge of Arabic culture, history and language.â€
The other 581 people deployed in Iraq had extensive knowledge of Corporate Culture, history and language.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:10 pmStories like this make me wonder about all those people the NSA has listening to all those wiretapped conversations. Unless they’ve sucked up all the Arabic interpreters in the DC metro area, it’s probably safe to assume that they don’t have too many native speakers either.
Makes you wonder what they’re really listening to.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:17 pmMakes you wonder what they’re really listening to.
Comment by toasterhead
All the rest of those dangerous English speaking people…..
March 11th, 2008 at 2:24 pmMakes you wonder what they’re really listening to. -toasterhead
Ummm, Spitzer & Hookers? (Not necessarily in that order…)
March 11th, 2008 at 2:25 pmMakes you wonder what they’re really listening to.
Comment by toasterhead — March 11, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
They’re listening to Democrats talking to hookers.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:28 pmMoreover, throughout DoD language-qualified individuals tend to be promoted more slowly and to be viewed with some suspicion even if they ALSO have comparable skills in specialties IN ADDITION TO their language skills.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:34 pmMakes you wonder what they’re really listening to.
Comment by toasterhead — March 11, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
Janis Joplin?
March 11th, 2008 at 2:41 pmJanis Joplin?
Comment by RUCerious — March 11, 2008 @ 2:41 pm
Correct!
I would also have accepted Elliot Spitzer and/or hookers.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:45 pmMakes you wonder what they’re really listening to.
Comment by toasterhead
These patriots are listening to the enemy – You and I! In their eyes, loyal Americans are to be spied on and watched. Loyal Americans want change, and the current criminal enterprise doesn’t want change – so they target those who insist upon change, and that is what makes them enemies. Not an enemy of the country, an enemy of the status quo. An enemy to republican and authoritarian rule.
Make no mistake – we are the enemy now.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:52 pmIn order to hire translators in Arabic, one must first care about them.
March 11th, 2008 at 3:07 pmYou go to war with the auditors you have, not the auditors you would like to have… and if we learn Arabic now, the terrorists have won!
March 11th, 2008 at 3:09 pmWow, I wonder why very few Arabs would want to work for this administrations????
maybe because its bombing the sh*t out of their countries
Comment by help.me.jebus
There is one other reason. If they cooperate with the US and are caught, they will die. The US also won’t allow them to immigrate. Think of all the translators who were promised refuge in the US if they needed it who were then turned away because we had reached our 500 arbitrary cutoff number of Iraqi’s allowed in our country.
March 11th, 2008 at 3:17 pmAnd how many people were tortured, shot and/of killed because they couldn’t understand what was being said ?
March 11th, 2008 at 3:50 pmRemember Arabs is a primitive people who intially only understand the language of violence. So at first there is a need to bomb, shock and awe them into submission to make them understan we mean buisness
Then in the ashes of destruction we plant the seed of democracy which will grow and open like a beautifull flower speaking the universal language of freedom to the Arabs
Westerners dont need to understand their language or their culture. We are there as liberators and as educators. They have nothing to teach us, but we have so much to teach them. They cannot achieve freedom and democracy on their own.
We must help them, guide them and constantly monitor and control their progress towards their road to independence and freedom. This poor uncivilized people desperatly need this helping hand from their great white superior benefactor. They cannot be free without us.
Just like when we spread the word of God and the way of the white man to the suffering Americas, Africa and Asia.
[/sarcasm]
March 11th, 2008 at 4:15 pmGalmud is a sanctimonious, condescending fool who enjoys feeling superior.
March 11th, 2008 at 4:42 pmI don’t think his god would approve of his pride.
I just saw the /sarcasm —
March 11th, 2008 at 4:43 pmI think he was speaking tongue-in-cheek — if so, I take back my words.
44. Galmud, please place the /sarcasm tag earlier in your post. ;-)
As Garrison Keillor observed, when reality is so bizare, humorists are in trouble.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:37 pm