Ignoring our debt to the Iraqi interpreters

I would have thought that the idea of granting asylum to those Iraqis who have served as interpreters for British troops would be fairly uncontroversial. But Neil Clark has issued a ferocious broadside against it today on Comment is Free, saying

“let’s do all we can to keep self-centred mercenaries who betrayed their fellow countrymen and women for financial gain out of Britain.”

What’s particularly striking, or one might say sickening, about Clark’s arguments is that he is under no illusions about what will happen to these people once the British leave. He writes,

“History tells us that down through history, Quislings have – surprise, surprise – not been well received, and the Iraqi people’s animosity towards those who collaborated with US and British forces is only to be expected.”

Clark seems thoroughly relaxed about those Iraqis who worked for British forces being left to their fate. Indeed, he seems to thinks that this will have a beneficial pour encourager les autres effect.