The commander of U.S. forces in Central Asia and the Middle East, General David Petraeus, says Pakistan will likely have to make some deals with tribes along its border with Afghanistan in an effort to consolidate gains its military forces have made, but can not sustain on their own. Such deals have failed in the past, and U.S. officials have been skeptical of new ones.
Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, General Petraeus praised Pakistan's recent military operations against terrorist groups in the semi-autonomous tribal areas along the border. But he says the Pakistani military is reaching the limit of its capacity.
美军中央司令部司令彼德雷乌斯将军在战略和国际研究中心作演讲时，赞扬了巴基斯坦最近在边境沿线半自治的部落地区针对恐怖集团的行动。但是他说，巴基斯坦军方已经竭尽所能了。
"The challenge is, of course, the limited assets that the government can support them with and that the military has access to, to do the rebuilding and to do the preparation for transitioning, even as they are working on holding with the military forces," said General Petraeus.
彼德雷乌斯说：“当然问题在于巴基斯坦政府能用来支持部落地区重建并为过渡作准备的资源有限，而军方在这些方面能得到的资源也有限，尽管政府官员正与军队一起努力保持这些地区的稳定。”
General Petraeus says in order to free up forces for further operations, Pakistan will have to make some agreements with local tribes to keep the terrorists out of their areas.
彼德雷乌斯将军说，为了让军队摆脱束缚以便采取进一步行动，巴基斯坦将必须与地方部落达成一些协议，以便把恐怖分子驱逐出他们的区域。
"They are going to have to figure out how to hold some of these areas through agreements with tribal elements, not necessarily those that have signed on in the past with the Pakistani Taliban, but that is going to be the way ahead, I think," he said.
彼德雷乌斯说：“他们将务必确定如何通过与部落成员达成的协议守住这些地区，那些地区不一定是过去曾与巴基斯坦塔利班签署的协议所涉及的地区，但是我认为那样做将是未来的方向。”
Agreements with tribes have backfired in the past, providing the Taliban, al-Qaida and other groups with safe havens. But General Petraeus indicated the United States would not object to new agreements as long as they do not involve tribes or local leaders who have worked with the terrorists.
政府与部落间的协议在过去曾经适得其反，给塔利班、基地组织和其他组织提供了避风港。但是彼德雷乌斯将军指出，美国不会反对巴基斯坦政府与部落签订新的条约，前提是那些曾经与恐怖份子合作过的部落和地方首领不会参与其中。
The general also said it is important for the United States to demonstrate its commitment to working with Pakistan for the long term as a reliable partner, something it has not always done in the past. That is the same theme expressed by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates during a visit to Islamabad.
彼德雷乌斯将军还说，重要的是美国要显示其作为巴基斯坦的一个可靠的伙伴，与巴基斯坦长期合作的承诺，而在过去美国并没有一直这样做。美国国防部长盖茨在对伊斯兰堡的一次访问中也表达了相同的意见。
"We are in this for the long haul, and intend to continue to be a partner of theirs for far into the future," he said. "I think that is the core message that I am bringing with me."
盖茨说：“我们在这里是做好长期打算的，并计划在持久的未来继续与巴基斯坦保持伙伴关系。我想这是我带来的主要的信息。”
Secretary Gates said he is "very comfortable" with the relationships between U.S. and Pakistani leaders and the partnership they have fighting extremists who, he said, threaten both countries.
国防部长盖茨表示，他对于美国和巴基斯坦领导人之间的关系，以及双方打击威胁到两国的极端份子的合作非常满意。
The United States has been encouraging Pakistan to press the fight against Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan, but a top Pakistani Army official said Thursday that the military will need time to consolidate recent gains before it can launch any new offensives.
美国一直鼓励巴基斯坦加强打击在阿富汗边境部落地区的塔利班和基地组织激进份子。但是一名巴基斯坦军方高级官员星期四说，巴基斯坦部队将需要时间巩固目前的战果，之后才能发动新一轮进攻。 |