Interpreting the truth, Afghan-style

“You can learn an awful lot by passing the time of day with Afghans,” said Lt Colonel Jopp as he showed me round the bazaar.

Very true, provided you understand not only what’s being said but why. And for that you need more than a translator. I’ve been in three bazaars in Helmand over the past few days, passing the time of day with the help of ‘terps’ – British military interpreters. Now I’ve been through the tapes with another ‘terp’.

All is not as it seemed.

I was worried that people would give the answers they thought the British would like to hear – we were, after all, accompanied by half a dozen of Britain’s finest, all armed.

So I was initially surprised and pleased when people in Nad-e-Ali complained that security wasn’t good, because it meant they weren’t following the British script.

“The security situation is bad,” said a young doctor. “Sometimes the government is threatening people, sometimes the Taliban is threatening people, sometimes there’s fighting in their area so people can’t come to the clinic.”

As we went through the tape, I typed it into my computer and the ‘terp’ sniffed.

 “Liar,” he said.

“It’s not true?” I asked.

“Not at all. Security is good.”

We went through conversations with the stall holders in the bazaar. They also said security wasn’t great, and complained about both the Taliban and the government.  Same sniff from the interpreter.

“They know they’re going to be on British television, so they like to be on both sides.” In other words, they’re hedging their bets, a fine Afghan tradition born of bitter experience. They’re trying to say both what the Taliban want AND what the British want – which isn’t easy.

I wondered if it meant that, despite being in small towns which are pretty securely under government and British control, they were still being intimidated by the Taliban? No, I was told, not necessarily.

But they have an eye to the future. In the last nine years they have lived through a period of government control, then Taliban control, then fighting, now British-backed government rule.

Who knows what will happen next?

The narrative of British commanders here is all about development. When they drive out the Taliban from a population centre they rapidly start quick impact projects – digging wells, rehabilitating mosques and clinics, re-opening schools. 

Increasingly they try to emphasise that the government not the British forces is in the driving seat. The aim is to prove to the people that life is better under the government than under the Taliban.

People may well agree. But that’s not necessarily what’s uppermost in their minds when you ask.