Ben, you may have a solid point, but to keep this in perspective and parallel to other embassies around the world (and knowing that a news story tends to skew reality), I wonder what percentage of the US embassy employees in, say Bankok, actually speak fluent Thai, how many of the US embassy staff in Moscow speak Russian, etc...

Also, what percentage of a given embassy staff from China, for example, speak Russian at their embassy in Moscow...and so on...

Maybe, YOUR post, although a good one, does not capture the real point...

Well I guess firing all those gay Arabic-speaking military personnel wasn't such a good idea after all???

However, we did salvage marriage!

BB7117

17 months, 8 hours a day??? That's why "military intelligence" is an oxymoron.

I don't care if there isn't a single arabic speaker in the entire army OR government, as long as we're sure we're discriminating against those darn gays as much as possible! You let one gay in and before you know it, you'll have their linguistic skills saving lives and streamlining bureaucracy left and right, and then we'll all be screwed!

Actually pvm, the military has some of the brightest, most dedicated professionals in the workforce. Period.

HAS WASHINGTON LEADERS LOST THEIR MINDS !!!
THE U.S. IS BUILDING A NEW EMBASSY FOR MULTI-BILLION DOLLARS IN A COUNTRY THAT DOES NOT WANT US WHICH OUR WOUNDED RETURNING TROOPS ARE BEING MISTREATED IN OUT OLD UNDER-FUNDED VA HOSPITALS.

WHEN IS SOMEONE GOING TO STOP RUN-AWAY SPENDING?

Can someone tell me whats easier to learn..persian/farsi or Arabic..Is it true that Persian/Farsi will be easier to communicate to other farsi speakers? I heard thats not the case with Arabic because it is so regional...

Tara let's see you pick up the language and go over there and do something good for our country...

Ben Fisher, if we didn't want to learn about other countries, please explain the mission of the Defense Language Institute. Also all military services now teach classes on different cultures.

PVM, Perhaps the reason military intelligence is an oxymoron (according to you) is because a lot of Military Intelligence units are being run by people who have not worked in Intelligence ... go figure.

Daveinboca, Thank you for bringing up Cobra II and L. Paul Bremer. Very enlightening and gets to the heart of why we're really having problems over there now. Went over with two few troops to begin with, micromanaged by Rumsfeld --who was probably too senile to figure out what military leaders we're really trying to tell him, and then they sent L. Paul Bremer over there to goon things up and ruin relationships that had been forged with the local populace. Don't know if any of you will remember, but Clinton only had us projected to be in the Balkans for 1 year. Ten years later we're still there. So, for all of you criticizing Bush (and I'm not saying mistakes have not been made), suggest you take a look at Clinton and figure out what he could have done to thwart bin Laden when we had the chance.

For the record, anyone who balks at 17 months 8 hours a day five days a week, I challenge you to learn it faster.
the grammatical structure and phonetics are so completely different that one cannot comprehend. Ponder this; you can conjugate a verb in arabic 122 different ways. They do not write their short vowels, they are inferred, therfore many words with completely different meanings look exactly the same on paper, just for starters. The plural form of a wprd is nearly always a broken plural with eight different skeletal consonantal forms to infer from exposure, meaning only time and repetition will allow a true ability to have a clue as to what you are reading or writing. The infinitives verbal nouns, etc, are all rife with the same complexity, so it is hard.

Hello I am Sha!
Assalam-o-Alaikum!
I really like & love the arabic as a "Language".
The impression I got immediately after I
completed MA English was that I should have
studied "Arabic".
I have grown a strong passion and attachment
for Arabic and the Arabs. How much it can last?
This is what i don't know nor am much sure about
but if your gals and guys out there help me, my
love might become fruitful for me.
Why do i like and love arabic and the Arabs?
This is sort of expansive questions.
I only know that Arabic is soft, smooth
and melodius.
The Arabs are loving, sincere and sobre.
Well, what I don't know is if they are
lovers of their language too or not.
I aspire to someday talk fluently in arabic.
Talk to my friends. But can i attract Arabic
-speakers to my self by speaking their lang-
uage is yet another thing to be experienced
still.
Arabic is the language of the Muslims but i do
believe ALLAH will hear and help me even when
i speak my mother tongue to ask him. I am
sensitive to the degree that if i like something
just for the sake of some good and great point
in it and I am not answered positively.... I
really begin to hate that thing. Well i don't
know why should i do it but still here i am to
do it. I like to chat, sing, speak, think, write
and argue in Arabic. I have no intention to
visit an Arabic speaking country as yet but
can it be helpful enough in learning a language to
personally visit the country where it is spoken?
Because we have been in this country of ours for
since our birth but still we haven't got command
and control over the national language spoken
here. Does it go to say that it doesn't matter
a lot to visit a country for the solitary purpose
of learning a language spoken there? I like the
h sound of Arabic and also I like it for not
having the clattering sounds of t,d etc. I
want to have good really good arabic language
friends. I can teach you English "only and only
if you think you need it". I should thank you
in advance if you think my love for Arabic and
the Arab is something valuable.
With best regards it is farhad

( I shall be really anxiously waiting for
the language friend of my dreams.
How can i say in Arabic
"The lover and Admirer of Arabic as a Language"
Bubye thanks