CAMP LIBERTY, Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 14, 2004 — All he wants to do after a long day's work is sit down for dinner with his wife and children. His route takes a detour, however, when men in masks with machine guns force him to stop. They threaten that if he goes to work tomorrow, he and everyone he loves will be killed.

Will he clock in the next day as if nothing happened? Will his life ever be the same?

To the average American, such a scenario would be inconceivable. But it is a common occurrence for Iraqi translators, who risk their lives to work with multinational forces.

“Mahir,” whose name has been changed for security reasons, is no stranger to the dangers a translator faces. Mahir has moved four times due to death threats to him and his family since he started working for multinational forces. On one occasion, masked insurgents armed with AK-47s cornered and threatened to kill him.

“They searched my house, searched my computer,” he said. “After this, I bought a different home.”

The threats persisted and eventually Mahir had to leave his family and move to an Army base. They gave him a pistol for protection.

Mahir is not the only translator who has been directly threatened by anti-Iraqi forces.

“Zaki,” whose name has also been changed, is an Iraqi doctor who lived through Saddam Hussein's entire reign of tyranny. Armed insurgents have also chased him on his way home. He managed to escape, but they made gestures implying they will get him later. He continues to work with multinational forces and hopes to become an American citizen.

Why do translators take such risks? Money is a factor for many, Mahir said.

But many also work to improve their country, said Master Sgt. Philip Lueders, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.

“A lot of these guys are trying to make a difference as well as a living,” he said. “They are civilians living in great danger. We need to appreciate that.”

“I want to compensate for the lost days of my life,” Zaki said. “U.S. forces are worthy to serve because they liberated us from Saddam.”

Many translators like Zaki lived most of their lives under Hussein's rule. “Nabil,” an Iraqi refugee who taught English in Lebanon, an illegal act under Hussein's regime, sacrificed safety and security and returned to Iraq to help his country. After his family was detained trying to meet him in Lebanon, Nabil fled to Portugal out of fear of Hussein's vengeance.

“If I continued to stay, they may send me back to Iraq in a coffin,” Nabil said.

After the coalition forces invaded Iraq, Nabil returned to help in the rebuilding. It was his first time in his homeland since 1994.

“I was really anxious to do something for Iraq,” he said. “This is one way that I can do it. This is our freedom; we have to fight for it.”

Iraqi translators play an intricate role in helping soldiers communicate with the Iraqi populace, Lueders said.

“One interpreter said that when he coaches other interpreters, he tells them they are masters of the show,” he added. “That sounds grandiose, but the information they provide helps us prevent casualties.”

Nabil said working with multinational forces is a symbiotic relationship.

“It is a blessing for both sides,” he said. “Without us they can't communicate with the community. And without the United States we can't find justice in Iraq.”

Mahir said he enjoys being a translator because he can participate firsthand in rebuilding Iraq. An engineer by trade, he supervised school and hospital reconstructions.

“We fixed 90 percent of (Baghdad University),” he said. “We fixed the streets and hospitals. We are working on 10 to 20 schools in Baghdad. I get to help the American people to fix my country and help my people. I am very proud that I had the chance to do this.”

Changes in infrastructure are going hand-in-hand with changes in liberties. The freedoms the Iraqi people were once denied are now available, Mahir said.

“Before it was like we lived in jail,” he said. “We could not walk down streets because they had Saddam's homes and palaces there. Now we have good lives with freedom. The one thing we are missing is safety. If we had safety, this would be paradise.”

Mahir said if the war never happened, he would have left Iraq at all costs.

“I would lose everything, but I would leave,” he said. “I can't live like how my father did.”

All three translators said their experience working with American soldiers has been positive.

“They bring real democracy,” Zaki said. “U.S. soldiers are like a second family to me. They are very kind, very helpful. Hopefully America will become a second home.”

Despite the dangers of the job, none of the translators said they intend on quitting. They all said they are concerned for the future of their children, but do not fear their own death.

“Death is everywhere,” Zaki said. “It is the final destination for everyone. I am not afraid of death.”