>> >>AMITA: IRAQI TRANSLATORS JEOPARDIZED THEIR LIVES TO HELP THE U.S. MILITARY CONTRACTORS
AND JOURNALISTS DURING THE IRAQ WAR.
WHEN U.S. FORCES PULLED OUT THEY LEFT MANY OF THOSE TRANSLATOR BEHIND.
THEY ARE NOW THE MOST HUNTED CLASS IN IRAQ.
JOINING ME IS FORMER IRAQI TRANSLATOR IBRAHIM.
WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE FOR YOU IN IRAQ WHEN YOU WORKED AS A TRANS LATER, WHEN YOU WERE IN
A WAR ZONE AND HOW DANGEROUS WAS IT?
>> >>IBRAHIM: IT WAS FULL OF DANGER.
I WOULD SAY IT'S THE TOP DANGEROUS JOB IN THE WORLD.
I MEAN, YOU'RE WORKING ALONG WITH THE U.S. MILITARY, PUTTING YOUR LIFE IN DANGER AND
AT THE SAME TIME YOU'RE STILL THINKING ABOUT YOUR FAMILY LIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND
YOU'RE JUST WORRIED ABOUT WHAT IF THEY ARE GOING TO GO IN AND FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE, AND
THEY ARE GOING TO GO STRAIGHT TO YOUR FAMILY.
IT'S REALLY DANGEROUS.
AND YOU'RE ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, WHAT IF I'M GOING TO DIE DOWN HERE,
WHAT'S MY FAMILY GOING TO REACT, IT'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND IT'S REALLY DANGEROUS JOB.
>> >>AMITA: THE WAR IS OVER NOW THE AMERICAN FORCES HAVE PULLED OUT.
NOW WHAT IS LIFE LIKE FOR THESE PEOPLE WHO ONCE WORKED AS TRANSLATORS FOR THE UNITED
STATES?
>> >>IBRAHIM: IT'S DIFFERENT, IT'S A DIFFERENT LIFE.
SINCE THEY WORKEDÊ ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE ONES WHO WEREÊ WHO ARE STILL IN RACK?
>> >>AMITA: YEAH, IN IRAQ.
>> >>IBRAHIM: IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE LEFT, A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVED OUT OF THEIR HOUSES.
>> >>AMITA: WHY?
>> >>IBRAHIM: BECAUSE THERE IS STILL, LIKE, THEY HAVE FEAR OF THEY ARE GOING TO FIND OUT
WHO THEY WERE, AND THEY WORK FOR THE VMENT S.MILITARY U.S. MILITARY.
WHAT I HEARD LIKE TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, THE UNITED STATES MILITARY, THEY HAVE PASSED
A LIST OF THE NAMES FOR THE IRAQIS INTERPRETERS WHO WORKED FOR THE U.S. FORCES TO THE MINISTRY
OF INTERIOR.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVED OUT OF THEIR HOUSES, THEY CHANGED CITIES RS WENT TO DIFFERENT AREAS
OR DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEY'RE STILL IN FEAR EVERY SINGLE DAY THEY STILL ASKING THE SAME QUESTION ABOUTÊ
>> >>AMITA: WHY ARE THEY IN FEAR?
WHO'S GOING AFTER THEM?
>> >>IBRAHIM: IT'SÊ YOU KNOW, HOW IS IRAQ RIGHT NOW.
IT'S UNSTABLE, THERE IS A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS, ASSASSINATION GOING ON.
THERE IS A BIG PROTEST AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT, AND THE GOVERNMENT ARE CORRUPTED.
>> >>AMITA: YOUR COUSIN ALSO WORKED AS A TRANSLATOR IN IRAQ, FOR U.S. FORCES, WHAT HAPPENED WITH
HIM?
>> >>IBRAHIM: YES, MY COUSIN, HE DIED.
HE DIED IN IRAQ ALONG WITH SIX SOLDIERS IN A HOUSE BOMB.
HE WAS ON A MISSION TO GOÊ THEY GOT INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOUSE IT WAS FULL OF AL KIED UH.
THEY WENT ENAL QAEDA, THEY WENT INTO THE HOUSE, IT WAS TRIGGER HOUSE, IT BLEW UP.
>> >>AMITA: BLAKE HALL WORKED VERY HARD TO BRING HIS FAMILY, HIS MOTHER AND HIS SIBLINGS
HERE, HOW ARE THEY DOING?
>> >>IBRAHIM: I WOULD THANK BLAKE HALL.
HE'S AN AMAZING PERSON.
HE KEPT HIS PROMISE FOR THE FAMILY.
HE'S A FAMILY MEMBER RIGHT NOW.
HE WORKS REAL HARD TO BRING THE FAMILIES HERE.
THE FAMILIES ARE SO PLEASEED TO HAVE A PERSON LIKE HIM AND KEEP AS A PROMISE AS AN OFFICER
FOR THE UNITED STATES MILITARY.
THEY'RE VERY HAPPY.
THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT LIFE RIGHT NOW.
THEY DON'T HAVE NO FEARS ABOUT WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO GET IN, WHAT IF THEY FIND OUT.
THE FAMILIES WHOSE SONS DIED ALONG WITH SIX SOLDIERS IN IRAQ.
>> >>AMITA: HOW EASY IS IT FOR THESE TRANSLATORS WHO HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND IN RAKE TO GET VISA
IRAQ TO GET VISAS TO COME TO THE UNITED STATES?
>> >>IBRAHIM: IT'S REALLY HARD.
FIRST OF ALL, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CHECK POINTS, AND THEY HAVE TO GO FOR THE
INTERVIEW, AND THEY HAVE TO GET A LOT OF STUFF.
I HAVEÊ ME, PERSONALLY Y STILL HAVE A KUM OF FRIENDS I HAVE STILL BEHIND IN IRAQ RIGHT
NOW.
THEY COULDN'T GET THE VEEZ VISA.
IT'S SAD.
I MEAN, THEY FOUGHT ALONG WITH THE U.S. FORCES, THEY'VE DONE THE MISSION, AND THEY EVEN TOLD
THEM THEY HAVE BEEN SHOT BEFORE, SOME OF THEM LIKE THEY PUT THEIR LIVES IN DANGER AND NOW
THEY COULDN'T.
>> >>AMITA: IBRAHIM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CLOSE IT THERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING TO US TODAY.