Lone Ranger
Iraqi army sergeant wears a mask during a joint patrolwith U.S. soldiers. He said he does not want people
in the neighborhood to recognize him
--Ernesto Londoño
For what can war, but endless war, still breed?
--John Milton
Where the executioner's face is always well hidden
--A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Bob Dylan
________________
Last month Iraqi interpreters working with the U.S. military in Baghdad were given the Pentagon's o.k. to go back to wearing face masks following a six-month ban (Iraqi Interpreters May Wear Masks).
This doesn't quite jibe with the talk of the successful Surge and how most of Iraq is now a safety zone for democratic growth. The reality is, masks are required for the safety of those seen to be collaborating with U.S. forces. It gives lie to the rosy propaganda.
Iraqi army and National Police officials also often wear masks when they conduct joint missions with Americans. The Iraqi government recently requested the names of interpreters assisting the military from a private company, Global Linguistic Solutions, claiming income tax interests.
However, as "Iraq does not collect income taxes from government employees, [this] triggered suspicion among interpreters that the move was meant to learn their identities." The company will withhold a percentage of their pay, but will not release their names. If you cannot give the names to the government, that government is a sham.
Secrecy -- the new watchword in America, same as it is Iraq. Even our police at local, state and federal levels now wear masks. Masked SWAT teams operate in our neighborhoods, and no one questions the subterfuge.
Ranger's main concern is the U.S. street, not those in Iraq or Afghanistan. Masks may be tres chic over there, but they are definitely out of place in U.S. law enforcement.
Last month Iraqi interpreters working with the U.S. military in Baghdad were given the Pentagon's o.k. to go back to wearing face masks following a six-month ban (Iraqi Interpreters May Wear Masks).
This doesn't quite jibe with the talk of the successful Surge and how most of Iraq is now a safety zone for democratic growth. The reality is, masks are required for the safety of those seen to be collaborating with U.S. forces. It gives lie to the rosy propaganda.
"Telling a terp that his country is safe when he doesn't feel it's safe is as pretentious as it gets," said an Army captain in Baghdad, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was criticizing his superiors. "The terp-mask thing is just the latest disconnect between what happens on the ground and what people want to be happening on the ground."
Iraqi army and National Police officials also often wear masks when they conduct joint missions with Americans. The Iraqi government recently requested the names of interpreters assisting the military from a private company, Global Linguistic Solutions, claiming income tax interests.
However, as "Iraq does not collect income taxes from government employees, [this] triggered suspicion among interpreters that the move was meant to learn their identities." The company will withhold a percentage of their pay, but will not release their names. If you cannot give the names to the government, that government is a sham.
Secrecy -- the new watchword in America, same as it is Iraq. Even our police at local, state and federal levels now wear masks. Masked SWAT teams operate in our neighborhoods, and no one questions the subterfuge.
Ranger's main concern is the U.S. street, not those in Iraq or Afghanistan. Masks may be tres chic over there, but they are definitely out of place in U.S. law enforcement.
Labels: interpreters face masks, phony war on terror, PWOT
posted by Lisa at 8:37 AM
5 Comments:
preaching to the choir here ranger. i been saying that the iraqi "government" is an insult to governments everywhere.
they are no more legitimate than vichy or the quisling regime.
Masks lend a certain amount of dehumanization...i.e. the issue of the SWAT teams.
The masks serve a couple of purposes...one, to protect the identity of the SWAT member, two, as an added factor that the perp is no longer facing an individual wearing a badge, but rather the corporate community represented by the SWAT team.
In short, intimindation.
However, back to the protecting ones identity.
For the police dept's, usually SWAT teams go in on drug users, and since I'm not up on Florida, I will go with what we're experiencing here in California.
The Mexican drug cartels are getting bold.
By bold I mean blatantly bold, as in combatively bold, as in "We have as much firepower as you do, and in fact we also have deep pockets to hire hit men."
One of the classic signs of this is what is currently happening in Phoenix Arizona which is now turning into "kidnap" capitol of the US.
Kidnap as in "Ese vato loco, you do as we tell you...or someone gets it...btw, cute kid playing in your yard be terrible if something untoward happen to 'it.'"
A couple of years ago a poor park ranger stumbled on a "grove of marketable plants" that was being guarded by a Mexican national.
El Mexicano was very well armed as he seemed to have the uncanny ability to throw out a bunch of lead.
the Park range, wisely realizing he had stumbled into something that was way above his pay grade called in the Santa Clara country sheriffs.
Who went ala combat mode...and combat was exactly what they got.
So, to make a long story short, the sheriff's SWAT team, now backed by a couple of city SWAT teams are having a running gun battle with a single Mexican who decides to beat a hasty retreat...to the next "grove" wherein the SWAT teams are now faced with a couple more Mexicans who happen to be just as well armed as they are.
Well, the heat is on, the bullets are flying, and the Mexicans (note plural) are figuring that this is getting crazy, and beat a retreat to another "grove" wherein the lot of them...bug out.
All of this happened in the Santa Cruz hills above Silicon Valley, all within twenty miles of my house.
If you ask me, I view the Mexican Drug cartels as a more immediate threat to my sense of national security than OBL...but hey, who's asking me?
Not that I doubt the veracity of your report Sheer, but if the miscreant got away, how did they know he was a Mexican national?
Sounds to me like there is a large industry there that is going un-taxed. Perhaps legalizing it and taxing it could kill a number of birds with one stone.
Well, as it turns out, the sheriff's department found another "grove" further away while looking for the five that bugged, and found a single guy who was "asked" about the other groves.
Turns out the Mexican drug cartel that was operating those "groves" were bringing in Mexicans to do the guard work because, for them, it was just another gig, different surroundings.
And the federales are federales whether they speak Mexican or yankee...
As it turns out, the cartel, has moved their operations "elsewhere" namely because of the fact that the Sherif's dept had the temerity to say, "oh hell no!"
But for me, the take home message is clear...we have a very real problem with the drug gangs/cartels, and we're pissing ourselves about OBL?
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6848672
sheer, the Mexican drug cartels have even worked their way north of the border into Canada. They've been implicated in a rash of gang violence in Vancouver the past few months. 27 shooting incidence in the past month and it's escalating. B.C. bud is going south for coke. Big turf wars going on in what was once a fairly safe town. So much for gun control. With the 2010 Winter Olympics coming to Vancouver open warfare on the streets is not exactly what the government wants to project but it's what they find happening now. It's not as bad as it is down your way but it's growing daily. It's a huge problem that's been ignored for too long. We don't have to go across the pond to find a war to fight.
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