Categories

The British Military-Industrial complex scrutinisedAOAV: all our reportsCivilian Casualties from British MilitaryMilitarism examinedExplosive violence in Iraq

Britain’s forgotten allies: AOAV details the 16 Iraqi interpreters for the British military reported killed in Basra

By AOAV on
Pin

Research by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) has uncovered the deaths of 16 Iraqi interpreters who worked with British forces in Basra between 2005 and 2007. This discovery comes 13 years after the British military’s full withdrawal from Basra in 2011, and exposes the seeming systematic targeting of interpreters — key figures in facilitating communication and intelligence during the occupation. These individuals, despite their vital role in British military operations, appear to have been left acutely vulnerable following their work for the British military, and their cooperation may well have been pivotal in their deaths.

A Dangerous Role, Fatal Consequences

AOAV has identified 16 Iraqi translators, integral to British military efforts, were kidnapped, executed and murdered over a two-year period in southern Iraq. These killings were carried out by insurgent groups and militias who saw the interpreters as collaborators with an occupying force, a view that condemned them to death.

The first killing occurred on November 4, 2005, when the body of a kidnapped man was found in the Qarmat Ali area of Basra. He had been executed for serving as an interpreter for British forces. Less than a month later, another translator, who had worked with British forces, was gunned down in Basra on November 30, 2005. The pattern continued over the next two years, with interpreters being murdered in public shootings, roadside bomb attacks, and targeted executions in their homes.

On December 22, 2005, Basaam Abdelkadim, a translator working at the British consulate in Basra, was found bound and shot. His death, like many others, was intended to send a clear message to those considering working with the British military. By 2006, these killings had become routine. On March 22, 2006, an interpreter was killed by a roadside bomb in Al-Qibiah, Basra. Another victim, Alaa Taleb Abdul Nabi, was found beaten and shot in the neck in April 2006, after being kidnapped. These attacks were part of a deliberate campaign to target those who collaborated with coalition forces.

Systematic Targeting and Abandonment

The report by AOAV emphasizes the vulnerability of these interpreters during and after their service. Although they were crucial to British military operations, many interpreters received little protection from the coalition or the British government when their roles placed them in danger. As British forces carried out patrols and raids, interpreters accompanied them into hazardous areas, often risking their lives for modest pay.

In the years after the interpreters’ service ended, many sought refuge or asylum, but their pleas were largely ignored. A report published by The Sunday Times in 2007 detailed the experiences of several interpreters who fled to Syria to escape death threats in Iraq. One interpreter, Akram Moayed al-Bazwe, described how his life was repeatedly threatened until he fled to Damascus with his family. Despite his service to the British military, he was turned away from the British embassy when he sought assistance​.

Similarly, Ahmad Sakhi, an Afghan interpreter who worked with British and American forces, described a harrowing journey fleeing the Taliban, only to face abandonment upon reaching the UK. His testimony, captured by the Independent in 2016, reflects the broader issue of interpreters who are left vulnerable after serving in conflict zones. “I risked my life for the British and Americans, and now they have abandoned me,” Sakhi stated, reflecting a sense of betrayal felt by many interpreters who served alongside coalition forces​.

The Broader Impact

The deaths of these 16 interpreters highlight a potential broader and recurring issue: the failure of coalition forces to adequately protect local interpreters and staff who risk their lives in support of military operations. Although the British government did offer some forms of resettlement, many interpreters were left behind, forced to fend for themselves in a war-torn environment where their collaboration with foreign forces made them marked men.

In Basra, the rise of Iranian-backed militias following the British withdrawal exacerbated the danger for former interpreters. These groups, which gained power as the coalition forces departed, specifically targeted those who had worked with the British, issuing death threats, carrying out kidnappings, and executing collaborators in a bid to consolidate control and exact revenge.

The Cases

The AOAV report chronicles the deaths of these interpreters in detail:

  1. November 4, 2005: Body of a man kidnapped and killed for working as an interpreter for UK forces in the Qarmat Ali area of Basra. He was executed by gunfire.
  2. November 30, 2005: An Iraqi translator who had worked with British forces was shot dead in Basra.
  3. December 22, 2005: Basaam Abdelkadim, a translator at the British consulate, was bound and shot.
  4. February 6, 2006: An Iraqi interpreter working for British troops was killed by gunfire in Basra.
  5. March 22, 2006: An interpreter for British troops was killed by a roadside bomb in Al-Qibiah, Basra.
  6. April 13, 2006: Alaa Taleb Abdul Nabi, a translator who worked for British troops, was found beaten and shot twice in the neck.
  7. May 31, 2006: A civilian who had worked with British forces was killed in a drive-by shooting in Al Jazear, Basra.
  8. June 18, 2006: Ali Ghazi Abdel Hussain Al Tamini, an Iraqi translator for UK forces, was killed in a drive-by shooting in central Basra.
  9. June 25, 2006: A translator working for UK forces was killed in a drive-by shooting in central Amara.
  10. August 3, 2006: The bodies of a chef and an interpreter were found murdered in the Al-Sekak region of Basra.
  11. October 26, 2006: An interpreter was shot in the head and chest in his home in Basra.
  12. February 8, 2007: The body of an abducted interpreter who worked for British forces was found two days after he was kidnapped, executed by gunfire.
  13. February 19, 2007: An interpreter for the Multinational Force (MNF) was killed in Az Zubair, Basra.
  14. September 12, 2007: An interpreter for UK forces was executed by gunfire in the Al-Hayaniah district of Basra.
  15. December 24, 2007: A former interpreter for the British army was executed in Basra.

Conclusion

The AOAV’s 2024 research bringing to light the fate of 16 Iraqi interpreters who served alongside British forces in Basra, reveals the high level of risk they faced and the lack of protection they were afforded. These interpreters were systematically targeted for their roles in supporting coalition operations. Their deaths serve as a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by local allies in conflict zones and the need for greater protection and support from the governments they serve.