A perfect example about how we could have gotten the Iraq issue with WMD so wrong is the Intelligence Community’s indifference to a basic problem, there is no requirement for Linguist in the Intelligence Community to know how to compose in English. If those who are translating Intelligence Grade documents can’t express themselves in English, how can their translations be used in the Decision Making Process? I was the Quality Assurance Coordinator for the largest Document Exploitation (DOCEX) unit in Iraq 2004-2005. In this role I discovered that only 4 out of 10 Linguists involved in DOCEX could pass a simple writing test, designed to evaluate their English composition skills.

Please write your Senator and Representative. Ask them this question, “What is the written punitive requirement for Linguists in the Intelligence Community doing written translations of written foreign language documents (Document Exploitation) to know how to express themselves in written English?” I have been trying to get this issue addressed since my return from Iraq over two years ago. The press, national leadership, and intelligence Community are all apathetic to this issue.

Rick Howard
http://www.geocities.com/whytowar/

• Why to War