American soldiers in Afghanistan are relying on civilian interpreters who in some cases don't know the languages they were hired to speak, resulting in dangerous military mistakes.
A former screener of translators alleges in a lawsuit that his former employer overlooked cheating on language proficiency exams, according to an ABC News report. The whistleblower, Paul Funk, told ABC that 28 percent of the interpreters hired by the firm between November 2007 and June 2008 failed the U.S. government's language requirements. The company denies the charges and is fighting the lawsuit.
The interpreters in question appear to be those hired from the U.S. and sent to Afghanistan, mostly of Afghan ancestry. American troops, however, also rely heavily on local Afghan interpreters supplied by U.S. contractors.
Monitor interviews with more than half a dozen former Afghan interpreters reveal that many learn crucial languages "on the job," occasionally resulting in deadly mishaps and misunderstandings in the mission to win hearts and minds.
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