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@Linguist_CIOL JUNE/JULY The Linguist 13 FEATURES organisation (e.g. the UK), they can be locals contracted in the conflict country, or come from an 'allied' country where there might be a supply of appropriately skilled linguists who are, perhaps, more familiar with local ways of doing things. Their loyalty lies firmly entrenched in the contractor-client relation. Although these contractors, certainly on their websites, pride themselves on their expertise, the practice of outsourcing has shown itself to be matter of concern. Reports from the field, oral histories and news items reveal that the professional quality of the interpreters hired – their linguistic, emotional and physical skills – are not always guaranteed, again possibly endangering the success and safety of the intervention. It is crucial that the 'clients' ensure – and the contractors can safeguard – that the interpreters meet the professional standards required, as well as the client's expectations. Secondly, the contracts must be transparent and watertight concerning not only payment but also safety and possible compensation of the interpreters. Contractors, too, have seen their interpreters injured or killed, and have sometimes been slow with payments. Military, humanitarian, justice and media organisations must ensure, when they outsource, that the two crucial conditions of quality and safety are met in transparent and equitable contracts. LOCALLY EMPLOYED INTERPRETERS Any large-scale operation on foreign territory needs massive local support to function effectively, whether in military operations in former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Mali or Syria; in humanitarian interventions in Congo or Somalia; in media reports from Syria or Ukraine; or on justice fact-finding missions in Somalia or Sudan. Never will there be sufficient nationally contracted staff. The support of locally employed civilians (LECs) goes far beyond interpreters alone. LECs, hired directly by the organisation or via a contractor, include cleaning, catering and office staff. They, too, run serious risks, either because they are seen to be colluding and collaborating with the 'enemy', or simply because they are involved in the conflict. A translator who had both his legs blown off in a mortar attack on a British base in Afghanistan, surely, is entitled to all the compensation and continuing care necessary. "Iraqi interpreters working with the British Army in Basra are being systematically hunted down and killed. At least 21 have been kidnapped and shot in the head over the past three weeks… Militia groups fighting for control of the province – and opposed to the presence of foreign troops – are widely suspected." The Independent, 17/11/06 "[The Taleban] said it had killed Ajmal Naqshbandi because the government had refused to meet its demands to release senior figures from prison. Italian reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo was released after five Taleban members were freed in exchange… Ajmal Naqshbandi worked as a guide and translator for visiting foreign reporters. He was abducted with Mr Mastrogiacomo and their driver at a Taleban checkpoint and originally accused of spying for the British army." BBC News, 8/4/07 2 "A Taliban spokesman boasted on Saturday that the group had kidnapped and killed four Afghan interpreters, one on his wedding day, apparently because they worked for the United States military and a Western contractor… [so were] guilty of working as informers for 'foreign forces'." New York Times, 15/5/2010 However, the risks run by locally employed interpreters (LEIs) are different and significantly higher. They go out in the field, often on dangerous operations. They are assumed to have valuable operational information and are visibly seen at checkpoints, during interviews, identifying bodies, assisting the 'enemy'. The difference translates in the casualty figures: cautious estimates for LECs in Afghanistan, for example, run in the many hundreds; injured LEIs to over a thousand. WHAT CAN AND SHOULD BE DONE? Organisations could be more careful when hiring LEIs, be it directly or through a contractor. Many are language students or teachers, and whatever their motivation – financial gain, participation in the historical process evolving in their country, future job prospects – on the whole, they are young and inexperienced as interpreters. Knowledge and mastery of the skills of reliable interpreting are essential. Training, and a system of constant mentoring and monitoring, are of the essence to ensure efficient and safe operations, as well as the personal health of the LEIs. Moreover, the LEIs should be employed under a code of conduct that clearly sets out what is expected of them. 3 How far do they go during an interrogation, or when under an attack and a gun is put in their hands? How proactive should they be in different situations, and when are they expected to go beyond neutrality? They need to understand the boundary of their duties across widely divergent tasks, ranging from non-combatant situations to involvement in action. War reporters, too, run enormous risks. Yet they are more likely to be tolerated by the different parties in a conflict as they are seen as a 'medium' that will allow the parties to publicise their objectives, whereas the 'loyalty' of LEIs is inevitably compromised. Their allegiance is seen as indispensable to one side – their 'employer' – and as treason by the other. This is why a firm code of ethics needs to define for them, and those working with them, the complex notions and expectations of accuracy and impartiality, of loyalty and confidentiality in the context of conflict. The prime concern remains the safety and security of LEIs, during deployment obviously, but also when the troops or organisation withdraw from the theatre of war or conflict zone