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July 28, 2007
The ethics of translation in Iraq
I have just found a fascinating BBC piece on the use of translators in Iraq by US-led forces. Given the unfortunately limited language skills of many UK troops in Iraq, the translators used clearly play a significant role. They can be very important to successful operations, and many chose to take up their roles for good, idealistic reasons.
However, translators working in the US-led forces in Iraq also come under attack -- insurgent groups often see them as collaborators. There is currently an ongoing debate as to the duties owed by the various forces to those who work as translators for them. Read more about it here.
Posted by jon_mendel at 12:09 AM | TrackBack
July 21, 2007
The occupation in Iraq and international law
Earlier this week, there was a very interesting BBC radio programme on the occupation in Iraq: listen again here. The programme discusses how the occupation was viewed in international law, and how this relates to issues of sovereignty. There's also a fascinating tension between the legal and the normative: between a legal imperative for the occupation to change relatively little in Iraq, and a (not altogether unjustified) US and UK desire to change the status quo in Iraq.
