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July 23, 2007
An Englishman's Word
You might want to have a look here, here, here and here.
Yes, the pond life that rule us have found another group they can betray. Surprised?
Others at those links explain it all in more detail and in more temperate language than I can or will. Simply, those who have worked for the British Forces in Iraq are, when the day of withdrawal comes, to be left to fend for themselves in that foetid swamp of insurgents, terrorists, Baathists, Islamists and general random murderous nutters who wish to kill them: as, indeed, they are already being killed.
There was a day when an Englishman's word meant something: not all that long ago as well. I've been a beneficiary of this idea that we are an honourable people who do as we say we will, will do the right thing, as recently as the 1990s in Russia. I've no doubt that my brother, currently working in Kabul, benefits from it today.
There are those who think this unimportant: unfortunately they are also the scum who rule us.
Write to your MP. Email them, phone them. Spread the word. Comment on the newspaper blogs. Write letters to editors.
The French already think of us as Perfidious Albion: let's not go and prove it to the whole world, eh?
July 23, 2007 in The English | Permalink
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Comments
Tim, that's great. One thing: Can I please ask you and all your readers, when writing to MPs, to keep the language as polite as possible?
I feel precisely the same as you do about the betrayal involved here, but it's important to be courteous when lobbying.
Posted by: Dan Hardie | Jul 23, 2007 10:51:31 AM
Dan,
A noble sentiment, but can you answer a few questions:
1. When was the promise to offer refuge to those working for us made?
2. How many, when all dependents are included, will this entail?
3. Is encouraging a 'Saigon' mentality really a good idea? The "most effective way of helping these brave Iraqis" is to make southern Iraq a safe place for everybody. Your plea sounds like a cleverly disgusied demand for "troops out now".
Posted by: windowlicker | Jul 23, 2007 11:27:46 AM
Your plea sounds like a cleverly disgusied demand for "troops out now".
Or a not so cleverly disguised demand to try save the lives of those who had the balls to try and help. Mileage may vary.
Posted by: Justin | Jul 23, 2007 12:21:39 PM
thanks very much Tim. The answers to those numbered questions are 1) there's always an implicit promise of the kind that working for us won't kill you and your family, 2) a few thousand and 3) this sort of thinking was *precisely* the reason why the evacuation of Saigon turned out to be far more of a disaster than it had to be.
I'd also note that since we have a lot of British citizens there and desperate people do desperate things, this policy is prudent as well as moral. Quite a few Americans in Saigon got taken hostage by their translators and interpreters and used as bargaining counters to get a seat on the plane.
Posted by: dsquared | Jul 23, 2007 1:18:53 PM
Posted by: windowlicker | Jul 23, 2007 3:36:47 PM
The Danes airlifted their translators out, why can't we do the same? http://www.di2.nu/200707/23b.htm
Posted by: Francis | Jul 23, 2007 5:01:51 PM
Aside from anything else, these people will be huge security assets, having an Iraqi translator who is already prepared to help might be very useful if the shit hits the fan later on.
Posted by: IanCroydon | Jul 23, 2007 5:23:48 PM
I don't get the point of this post. You talk about English fairness, etc, and this government. Is there a link somewhere?
Posted by: Anthony North | Jul 23, 2007 10:45:29 PM
I've set up a petition on the Downing Street website:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Iraqi-Employees/
Please sign it and link to it if you'd be so kind.
Cheers
Posted by: Davide Simonetti | Jul 24, 2007 11:57:36 AM
I've set up a petition on the Downing Street website:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Iraqi-Employees/
Please sign it and link to it if you'd be so kind.
Cheers
(apologies if this comment appears twice)
Posted by: Davide Simonetti | Jul 24, 2007 12:01:40 PM
