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　　The U.S. military says the number of its troops in Iraq is now less than 50,000, the lowest level since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
美国军方说，目前驻伊拉克美军不足5万人，是2003年出兵伊拉克以来的最低水平。
The announcement comes ahead of an August 31 deadline to switch the U.S. mission in Iraq from combat to training and counter-terrorism.
美国军方在奥巴马总统提出的8月31日最后期限之前宣布了目前驻伊美军的规模。驻伊拉克美军将结束战斗任务，转向训练和反恐。
President Barack Obama had promised the lower levels shortly after taking office. He also reaffirmed a prior agreement to remove all U.S. troops by the end of next year.
奥巴马总统上任后不久就承诺减少驻伊美军人数。他还重申了此前一个关于明年年底之前全部撤军的协议。
But the terms appear to be somewhat fluid. U.S. troops were still manning key positions in Baghdad this year, long after the June 2009 announcement they had withdrawn¹ for Iraqi cities.
但是协议的条件似乎并不明确。在2009年6月就宣布撤出伊拉克所有城市之后，美军继续控制着巴格达的重要据点。
Peter Harling, a senior analyst² on Iraq with the International Crisis Group, based in Syria, says "I'm not sure you can draw a line very clearly between combat troops and troops conducting an advisory³ mission. I think Americans will remain armed and very vigilant⁴ when it comes to their own security. But indeed there is no doubt that the U.S. wants to withdraw. I think, U.S. policy in Iraq boils down to withdrawal⁵; there's not much more to it than bailing⁶ out."
彼得·哈林是设在叙利亚的国际危机组织的伊拉克问题专家。他说：“我不能肯定你是否可以在战斗部队和执行咨询任务的部队之间划一条非常清晰的界限。 我想，在事关自己的安全时，美国人会保持武装，非常警惕。但毫无疑问，美国想撤军。我认为，美国在伊拉克的政策最后就是撤军。”
U.S. popular support for the war has fallen over the years, as casualties mounted and no clear victory appeared in sight.
随着伤亡人数不断增加，而且看不到胜利的前景，美国民众对这场战争的支持度逐年下降。
Tuesday's announcement coincides with Iraq's continued struggle to form a new government, five months after inconclusive elections.
美国军方星期二宣布驻伊美军人数之际，伊拉克继续努力组建一个新政府。五个月前的选举没有明显的获胜者。
Harling says that many of the basic questions about a post-invasion Iraq remain unresolved, including power sharing, and the clearly-defined role of the military, the constitution and various branches of government.
哈林说，有关撤军后伊拉克局势的许多基本问题仍没有解决，其中包括权力分享、明文规定军队的作用、宪法，以及政府各部门的职能。
"You can add to that, obviously, relations between Sunnis and Shi'ites, Arabs and Kurds, Iraq and all its neighbors - none of these questions have been answered," added Harling. "So withdrawing at a high pace, within the context of a framework which gives the U.S. very little flexibility⁷, when all these questions remain unanswered is obviously a gamble."
哈林说：“显然，你还可以加上逊尼派和什叶派的关系，阿拉伯人和库尔德人的关系，伊拉克和所有邻国的关系，这些问题中没有一个得到了解答。因此，在所有这些问题仍悬而未决的情况下，在一个没有给美国多少灵活余地的安排下快速撤军，显然是一场赌博。”
A recent increase in violence has raised fears that the U.S. drawdown, along with Iraq's political vacuum, could further embolden⁸ insurgents⁹.
最近伊拉克暴力活动增加，人们担心，美国减少驻人数和伊拉克的政治真空会让反叛分子更加胆大妄为。
U.S. officials said last week that they will increase the number of private security forces in Iraq by as many as 7,000. The duties of the temporary contract workers would include protecting U.S. officials.
美国官员上星期表示，将增加7千人的私营安全部队。这些临时合同人员的职责包括保护美国官员。