After Firing Gay Arabic Translators, Military Resorts to Translating machines

Yet further proof that the Christianists in the senior ranks of the U. S. Military and Congress put their delusional faith ahead of the national interest of the country:

Afterdischarging Arabic language translators for being gay, the military is now forced to rely on a translating machine that has not been fully tested, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-07/nios-eat072007.php). NIST researchers are evaluating a prototype, real-time, two-way translation systems for the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA), point out that wartime military patrols and civilian encounters can be especially dangerous if neither group understands the other’s language.

The DARPA program called TRANSTAC (Spoken Language Communication and Translation System for Tactical Use) is aimed at meeting the shortage of Arabic translators caused by the firing of linguists under the 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Law”.

More than 11,000 soldiers have been discharged because of the law, and more than 800 of them had vital skills needed for military operations. Why is using common sense so challenging to these folks?

U.S. military continues to discharge gay Arab linguists

I guess it is more important to keep the the hate- merchant Christianists happy than to look out for the best interests of the the country:

U.S. military continues to discharge gay Arab linguists, and Congress members seek hearing - The Associated Press
Published: May 23, 2007

WASHINGTON: Lawmakers who say the military has kicked out 58 Arabic linguists because they were gay want the Pentagon to explain how it can afford to let the valuable language specialists go.

Seizing on the latest discharges, involving three specialists, members of the House of Representatives wrote the House Armed Services Committee chairman that the continued loss of such "capable, highly skilled Arabic linguists continues to compromise our national security during time of war."

Democratic Rep. Marty Meehan, who has pushed for repeal of the law, organized the letter sent to Skelton requesting a hearing into the Arab linguist issue.

"At a time when our military is stretched to the limit and our cultural knowledge of the Middle East is dangerously deficient, I just can't believe that kicking out able, competent Arabic linguists is making our country any safer," Meehan said.

The letter, signed by about 40 House members, says that, with the latest firings, 58 Arab linguists have been dismissed from the military under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. It said Congress should decide whether this application of the policy "is serving the nation well."

The full story appears at: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/23/america/NA-GEN-US-Military-Gays.php