After Uproar, Britain Reviews Asylum Policy

A row over the fate of 91 Iraqi interpreters working for the British military took a new turn today, with the government promising to reexamine its refusal to grant them asylum. The Times of London, which broke the story on Tuesday, now reports that Gordon Brown has ordered a review of its asylum policy towards Iraqi translators, some of whom have faced torture and kidnapping for their alleged collaboration.

Anger erupted throughout Westminster and the military establishment when the Times reported that Iraqi translators who had risked their lives for the British military were abandoned. But Defense Secretary Des Browne said in an interview this morning that the interpreters may be granted special permission to reside in the UK, although no new action would be taken until the fall. (More interpreters stories.)