How can you distinguish between the Afghan translators...

[dutch508]

Star Member panader0 (22,954 posts)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215753242

How can you distinguish between the Afghan translators and people who just want to leave?

Surely the throngs of people at the airport cannot have all been translators. The timeline of
the US departure has been known for a long time. Why didn't these people try to leave before?
The deals trump and Pompeo made with the Taliban and the Afghan president were common
knowledge. Of course the US should help the Afghans who helped the US forces. But I think
many thousands of others just want to leave. How can a distinction be made?

 

mahatmakanejeeves (38,066 posts)

1. One group can speak English. NT

Jesus. You people are some racist ignorant mother ****ers...

Star Member marble falls (42,415 posts)

4. Serously? How long do you think that'll take? It would take years ...

Supposing there were a million, and it took 1 hour to totally clear someone either way, that's over 2 years. Do you want the military to hold the Kabul airport for two years?

Star Member doc03 (28,189 posts)

5. Why weren't they moved out before the military left?

It was reported for weeks the Taliban was taking over as fast as our military moved out.

I also wonder why.

Star Member Texaswitchy (975 posts)

13. I knew many people who worked in Iraq as contractors.

They made a lot of money.

Tax free I can think.

Builders and the trades.

One was a cook for the army.

Between 10k and 40k.  The State Department has no idea.

Tadpole Raisin (339 posts)

16. It was reported that the US has all the biometric data on Afghan workers.

They know who the people are who are eligible and so do the Taliban as they stole it (saw several reports on TV - sorry no links).

Also current and former servicemen, congressmen, and news organizations submitted verifications months ago for people who worked with them. The US visa system has been bogged down in a very clumsy unworkable application process.

Of course there are other Afghans with no association to US whose fear led them to the airport. They can’t all leave but the ones above should be allowed even if the USA is not the final destination.

 

[SVPete]

mahatmakanejeeves (38,066 posts)

1. One group can speak English. NT

  Touche'!

Of course, the US military also had some basic biometrics, such as photographs and fingerprints ... or did until the Talibanders apparently captured the info.

[USA4ME]

And while no preparations were made to protect these Afghans who assisted the US military will upset many American, it isn't going to even come close to how badly they're pissing people off by stranding American citizens in the region.

.

[SVPete]

And should the US go to war, e.g. in Elbonia, what Elbonian citizen would trust the US enough to be a translator or do administrative work for the US? The damage LIEden is doing to the US military and US interests will be hurting the US for years, perhaps decades.