Desert Rats was once a term used with pride to describe the heros who defeated Rommel in North Africa.
Now Desert Rats can be used with shame to describe the US, British and soon Australian politicians who cowardly ran from the fight, abandonning those who had helped them.

AC, Melbourne, Australia

An excellent article, but for one statement.

Unless things have changed radically over the last few weeks, the US is no more willing to protect Iraqi interpreters than the UK. Those brave and threatened people wait outside US borders, as well, and endure all the same blather about 'channels' and quotas and whatever else the government uses to deny them a safe haven.

In this, and far too many other issues surrounding this war, neither the US nor the UK has reason to be proud.

Teri Roney, US

Teri Roney, Sausalito, CA, USA

Are these interpreters not paid for their duties to the British Government? Are they not fully aware of the dangers they and their families might face? An agreement should be established between the interpreters and the Brits prior to any involvement, should either feel asylum is deserved. At least our government wil be aware of these 15000 or so!

woody, Kings Lynn,

What do these people expect from a government that dose'nt even respect it's own forces, this jazz about medals is a con lets face it medals are a damn sight cheaper to mint than giving our dead and injured their just rewards, propper care for those who have been in Iraq and Afghanistan and yes N Ireland, a descent pension so they don;t have to run to the British Legion for the basics of life. I did not support the war in Iraq, but I support the troops.

waine UK, merseyside, UK

Well done the Times.

This is indeed a question of the honour of the United Kingdom.

But under New Labour there is no honour; and come to remember it, precious little under the Conservative administrations before it.

Peter Hirsch, Newtownards,

I speak 6 languages - including Arabic and Farsi - although I am not a translator.

Anyway, I would never willingly translate on behalf of these occupying troops.

First, the Iraqi's were prompted to invade their neighbour Iran and a great deal of support given to this endeavour by the West. Next, the Iraqi's were starved and bombed by air. Next, they were invaded and their monuments and history trashed. Following that, their middle and educated classes were destroyed.

Any Iraqi translator who is silly enough to continue helping with this process, deserves his fate. In the case of the French "collaborateurs" of World War 2, they could be excused for not wishing a repeat of WW1. Iraqi translators do not have a similar excuse.

Alfred, Ryde, Isle of Wight, UK

I think we all would.

Adam Gardiner, Larnaca , Cyprus

Jeffrey from Florida, if I were working for you, I'd resent being called a "terp", whether I was Iraqi or not. Your interpreter/translator is your lifeline to other people's "hearts and minds", but you can't be bothered - like the British. You only want to win at all costs, especially when you have already lost. You are "planning on" something you've already squandered. The hired help is utterly disposable, no?
I'm a translator - though not of Arabic, that proved too complex for me and too subtle, although I tried my best - but of several European languages. You and the British are doing you damnedest not to deserve the help you're getting.

Julia Iskandar, London, England

To D. Berry,

Maybe he didn't win by popular vote, but he was the only candidate running. I don't want my country ran by someone who flip-flopped on every answer and would set policy by what's ahead in this week's polling. Someone who brags about having 3 Purple Heart medals and had never spent as much as one day in the hospital - earning one medal by self-injury on his own grenade launcher, is that who you would want as your leader? I'd be ashamed to make those claims amidst other veterans missing limbs or eyes, who really did earn those medals. I wouldn't have accepted them in the first place for minor injuries - especially going over my senior officer's head to get one - the aforementioned grenade launcher scratch...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not that big of a Bush fan, but he was the only one to vote for - disregarding party affiliation.

BB, Springfield, USA

they are not rebels. they are terorists . they don't reach their aim. they are trying separate turkey. i damn this ambush.

reyhan, izmir, turkey

I totally agree with the comments of LT from Carter, South Dakota. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Nicholas S., Austin, TX, United States

I'm afraid that I have little to add to LT of South Dakota and I say 'afraid' because his views coincide with my own, much to my disgust!.

We do have a history of letting down those that have worked and died on our behalf, ie our treatment of the Ghurkas.

No doubt President Putin will be roundly villified for his support for non violence in Iran, while similiar warlike utterances like those leading tto he invasion of Iraq, are being heard

James Francis Massey, Newtownabbey, UK

Isn't the point of the war to make the place safe for people of all stripes? If we're planning to lose, sure, bring the terps back with us. I would hope we're planning to win, aren't we?

Jeffrey, crestview, fl

The US and Britain are in Iraq to take their oil, pure and simple. Iraqui lives are of no consequence whatsoever to those in power who have decided behind the scenes to take the opportunity that 9-11 afforded. The events of 9-11 presented an opportunity for "a catastrophic event the like of Pearl Harbor" to advance corporate interests in retaking the immense oil wealth that was lost when Iraq nationalized its oil industry and kicked out foreign companies. Not that there aren't terrorists but that is not the reason the US or Britain are in Iraq. In fact their were no terrorists in Iraq before the war. Hundreds of thousans of Britons took to the streets to demonstrate their opposition to the war before it was begun and were ignored. The corporate and elite interests who have the real control cared little about the puclic will. In fact, they care little for the lives of their own troops beyond using them to support their empire. LT from South Dakota.

LT, Carter, South Dakota

World overpopulation is upon us!! Muslims that lived in isolation for 1000 years are now faced with globalization. They intend to either convert us or destroy us. It won't be Germany this time, a new player is making it's bid for world domination. It's normal for a species to migrate when their enviorment has overpopulated. Unfortuantely there isn't any "New World" to migrate to, unless we conquer outerspace. World war is inevitable, it's best to seal your borders and learn to be self sufficent. When it happens there won't be any food in the grocery stores. In America we hav a song, it goes "Country Boy can Survive", by hunting and fishing for his food.

Gil, Daytona, USA/Florida

We want out......many feel we should have never been there in the first place. Please don't lump all Americans into one category by generalizing....that doesn't make you any better than someone saying that all Iraqis are bad and not to be trusted.

Remember...he didn't win the election by popular vote.

D. Berry, Washington State, US

I am generally opposed to foreign immigration to Britain but in this case we must get the interpreters out of Iraq without a moments delay. If they have proved their worth they can be attached to the army as teachers or advisers or found other relevant work.
If they don't want to settle in Britain they should be assisted to relocate to the country of their choice.

This is a disgraceful betrayal and another stain on the reputation of the army in Iraq. it makes a mockery of attempts by the troops on the ground to win hearts and minds when Perfidious Albion abandons it's allies to murder and torture.

SM, London,

The British must protect the interpreters and their families giving them asylum in UK: these poor people had their country invaded and destroyed by a stupid empire who has no idea of policy. Espelling the Iraq's police meant to produce chaos: ordinary people had their life destroyed by any kind of common crimes. The consequence was the civil war. Now these poor interpreters who tried to gain some money for their families are considered traitors and it's normal during a civil a war. The Brits must save these people.

ceci, venice,

It really is disturbing to read some of the comments from US based Internet correspondents. US citizens of my acquaintance, resident here in Japan seem so erudite, articulate and well informed by comparison. Start to understand now why they "hated and left it". Perhaps if all US-based citizens were separated from wall-to-wall MSM propaganda, after a period they would be less narrow-minded and bigoted. But it's not something you'd want to bet the farm on.

Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Nagano

Burma has oil, gems, and natural gas. So, if there were any military intervention there, I assume there would be cries of "NO BLOOD FOR OIL!" SLORC has been involved in "ethnic cleansing" against Burma's Muslim population, yet where's the outrage in the Islamic world? Are any Muslims yelling "Death to Burma" or "Death to SLORC" at the top of their lungs? Not a chance.

Alexis, Bismarck, North Dakota

"There is only a certain amount of blame that you can put at the feet of US foreign policy."

We invaded their country and dismantled their security therefore we are legally and morally obliged to set it back up again. The sham of creating an interim Iraqi government to pass control to was hardly an honouring of our obligations. This is probably not solvable by the UK and the US now but the blame remains.

DJ, Loughborough, UK

The message is this: Trust Freedom. Remember, tyrants never learn. The restriction of Freedom is the limitation of human choice, and choice is the fulcrum-point of the creative process in human affairs. As earth's choicemaker, it is our human identity on nature's beautiful blue planet and the natural premise of man's free institutions, environments, and respectful relations with one another. Made in the image of our Creator, free men choose, create, and progress - or die.

Free men should not fear the moon-god-crowd oppressor nor choose any of his ways. Recall with a confident Job and a victorious David, "Know ye not that you are in league with the stones of the field?"

Jim Baxter, Santa Maria, , USA California

If you want to make friend with others, do'nt force them to do anything which they don't like or get used to. You like to eat steak; they may not like it. Don't bother so much about democracy to be adopted or influenced in other countries. We have much more things to take care of within our own country. Use our monry and wisedom to put them right.

Leung, Corona, USA

It takes guts to write an article like this. Guts.

Godspeed these people and their families.

Kate, South Dakota, USA

Great comment there, from:chuck Gallup, Tonasket, WA!!! Do you think Irag people are just mice and you can do any experiment you like. US came in destroyed anything, and now said that Iraq is not worth freedom????
And now Burma, I don't see Mr Bush said anything about democracy this time or anything about his 'pre-emptive' strategies. The oil in Iraq is enough for American right now huh?
People in Burma please wait till the oil in Iraq is emptied, then it maybe time for the democracy.

hatrung, hanoi, Vietnam

Has anyone remembered that all these civilian deaths (what is it supposed to be now? 350,000?) are predominantly Iraqi on Iraqi killings (with the help of a few muslims from other nations; Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria etc.). There is only a certain amount of blame that you can put at the feet of US foreign policy. As we saw in the balkans in the 1990s, if people hate each other so much they will generally find a way to kill each other. The presence of occupying forces is just a convenient diversion for the media to peddle while in reality these factions have been waiting a long time to be able to carry out such atrocities.

fergus, london, uk

I blame the Iraq people.
They are not a people worthy of freedom.

chuck Gallup, Tonasket, WA

Recent events have shown that claims by the Burmese military to be the friends and benefactors of the people are a total fraud and deception.

By attacking innocent and un-armed monks and civilians, the military have also shown that they are not the devout Buddhists they have pretended to be for all these years.

The best sanction against them would be for the monks and abbots to have no further dealings with the military or their relatives and supporters.

The monks should refuse to accept offerings from the military or their supporters, boycot their pagodas and refuse to officiate at their funerals should any of them die in the present conflict.

Neville Windsor, Sidcup, Kent, England

It is hardly fair to portray these Iraqi interpreters as Quislings. There is a world between translating and acting as double agents and traitors, shopping your neighbours to the Nazis.

Catherine, Luxembourg,

Just last weekend one of our brave 19 year old soldiers was flown home to his greiving family. God Bless him and all of our troops.

They regretfully have died in vain. This CIVIL war should be fought by these so called brave IRACQi
soldiers!

Our brave troops should be here protecting our borders!!

Where has all of the funds gone that have been recovered since the beginng of this scam on the American people.

Signed a disolusioned Viet Nam Vet

"I fell for a bunch of simmilar lies from the Johnson Admin" I recently bought a pain of pants at Wal-Mart
that were made in North Viet-Nam!!(THE TAG INSIDE MY POCKET SAID SO!! I wonder if a US POW made them!!! Needless to say I returned them. I keep feeling like washing my hands!!

Neil, Phoenix, AZ

Incidents such as this should indicate the brutal governments that are sponsoring this form of terrorism, Iran. If one paints Iran as the primary instigator, then what is their motive? Could it be that nasty old OIL?

Robert Sherrill, Sapulpa, Oklahoma, U.S.

Dont worry Mike, when your communist dems get in your taxes will double, you will lose your job and you will be pushing your car because you have no gas for it. There is a plus, Mexico is right next to your state so just illegally immigrate and get all the health benefits and illegal jobs that we afford to illegal immigrants here. And dont worry the Mexican government wont mind. Nor will I!

Rolf Schuetz, North Bergen , New Jersey

i do not think the our sons, in the uk are playing much cricket when they are brought home in coffins and wheelchairs.
the troops are trying to survive in guerilla warfare, and pen pushers at the publishers see sanitised versions of it.

katherine, co.londonderry, n.ireland

The crisis in Burma requires immediate and urgent action by the UN, religious and human rights organisations and the international community.
The UN should send a top-ranking envoy immediately to Burma to mediate between the Junta, the Monks and the NLD to end the present conflict.
Religious leaders of all faiths, particularly senior Buddhist monks and abbots in Tibet, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, China and Japan should speak out and encourage demonstrations all over the world.
Organisations such as Human Rights Watch should organise demonstrations at all Burmese Embassies and ordinary citizens should bombard Burmese Embassies with letters, Emails and phone calls demanding and end to Military rule in Burma.

Neville Windsor, Sidcup, Kent, England

It's the Iraquis country. Americans are dying why not the Iraquis?

Goebel, Lexington, USA

Whatever your view of the invasion, it's not Brits or Americans killing innocent Iraqis, but other muslims. You can blame the armies for destabilizing the region (in the name of oil or otherwise) but let's not forget what they swept away - hardly a picnic for many people living under the regime, not least the Kurds.

It's a sad fact that the situation in Iraq is no longer about Dictatorship, WMD, or Oil, or anything else other than guerrilla terrorism. This is by no means the first such situation, but it is the first which has been aided and abetted by global media and the internet. Let's get beyond name-calling and try to sort out the root cause - religious bigotry, hatred, miseducation and intolerance, not just among some muslim factions but some western ones too. If you can't help, shut up about it and let someone who CAN do something have the floor.

fergus, london, uk

D U H !!! It has always been about OIL, and its about time we had someone with some semblance of credibility saying so. If it were truly about national security, we would have attacked China instead of granting it "Most Favored Nation" status. And we would have also attacked Cuba and removed FIDEL. But you see boys and girls, all Cuba has to offer the world is Sugar Cane, Pineapples & Coconuts. Try putting that in your gas tank or heating your home with it. Now keep your eyes on the NEXT PRIZES.......Iran and Venezuela....they have plenty of "BLACK GOLD". Not that I wouldn't mind seeing those two "Psychos", Ahmadinejad and Chavez wiped off the map. Its time to fess up and stop lying to the American public. Try it "W" and "Dickie" , you just might like it !!!

MIKE SANTULLO, Albuquerque, New Mexico USA

Even by Labour's egregious standards this is a shameful episode.

While incompetent Whitehall seat warmers play leapfrog people risk seeing their daughters raped or having their noses removed with cheese wire.

I am disgusted.

cuffleyburgers, Lucca,

The Quislings of any war , have a similar fate.

F Yngvason, Akureyri, Iceland

Sounds like the ghurka's all over again!

D Wilson, Adelaide, Australia

Stabbing people in the back after they have helped you is a long-standing British tradition and these Iraqis should have known what to expect. From starving retired Gurkhas who have given a lifetime of service, to attempting to send the Poles who captured Monte Cassino "back home" to slavery and death in communist Poland, British foreign policy has always been absolutely clear and straightforward.

Joseph Milczarski, London,

Since when did the British ever have 'honour' towards non-Brits? Never!

The so-called 'honourable' British have never existed except for the British. The rest have always been told to get stuffed, when the British have finished using them.

David de Havelland, Maclean, NSW Australia

Apart from being an issue of honor, this is also a question of professional recognition. More should be done for the protection of interpreters and translators working in conflict areas and the industry should lobby more for that.
Because we’re tired of just sitting and waiting for this to happen, we’ve started an online petition at this address: http://www.lingo24.com/language_translation_forum/viewtopic.php?t=1658
We'll call on all our friends and colleagues in the industry to contribute to the cause. Everyone can add their signature!

Adina Baya, London, UK

I think the British Governments attitude to this problem is disgraceful. These people need to be protected and they and their families given asylum. It is the only honourable thing to do.

Anthony Gardner, Leamington Spa., England.

This makes me feel sick. These people need asylum but instead of repaying its debt to them, the British government has left them for dead, displaying a staggering lack of forward- thinking in the process. There is a petition to grant iraqi interpreters entry to the UK on the 10 Downing Street website:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/LECstatus/

Emma, Paris,

When a government treats the people its elected to serve like criminals...its hardly surprising...it treats foreigners the same...

Hugh, London, Albion

I think we've all been disheartened by recent events in Basrah. Don't blame the troops. Blame the politicians.

M. Fernandez, San Francisco, California