Pointing to what he calls eroding public support for the U.S. military effort in Afghanistan, a key Republican lawmaker is urging President Barack Obama to again lay out clearly for Americans what he believes is at stake there. U.S. lawmakers received a classified briefing on Wednesday from the Obama administration about Afghanistan.
美国国会一位重量级共和党议员提醒奥巴马总统，美国公众对阿富汗战事的支持率明显下降，因此有必要向公众重申阿富汗战事的重要性。星期三，白宫方面针对阿富汗局势，专门为国会议员做了闭门简报。
Congressman Frank Wolf was the author of legislation that created the Iraq Study Group, the bipartisan panel that issued a report in 2006 assessing U.S. strategy in Iraq.
沃尔夫议员(Frank Wolf)当初最先在国会提出议案、要求成立伊拉克问题特别委员会。这一跨党派特别委员会于2006年就美国针对伊拉克的战略出台了一份专题报告。
In a letter to President Obama, he outlines his concern that national confidence in the Afghanistan war effort is fading, although events in Afghanistan show the al-Qaida and Taliban threat has increased.
这一次，沃尔夫议员致函奥巴马总统，列举了他对阿富汗战事的关注和担忧；具体说，一方面美国公众总体上对阿富汗战事的信心指数在下滑，而另一方面，基地组织和塔利班给阿富汗带来的威胁似乎与日俱增。
While he recognizes that President Obama has said repeatedly that failure in Afghanistan would risk U.S. national security, Wolf says the president needs to do more.
沃尔夫议员认为，虽然奥巴马总统反复说阿富汗战事的失败将意味着美国国家安全受到威胁，但是奥巴马总统需要做出更多的努力。
"Political and popular will is eroding, which places our commanders and troops on the ground in a perilous position," Wolf said. "Polling indicates, including today's Washington Post, a shift in support by the American people and in recent days key leaders in Congress have publicly raised doubts about the way forward in Afghanistan."
沃尔夫议员说：“(在阿富汗问题上)公众的意志以及政府部门的意志都不如从前，这无疑让我们派驻阿富汗的官兵处境愈加艰难。很多民意调查、包括华盛顿邮报今天做的民意调查结果都显示，美国公众早先对阿富汗战事持有的支持态度现在已经发生了转变，而且最近几天来，国会一些重要议员也对阿富汗今后何去何从公开提出质疑。”
This week, Senator Carl Levin, the Democrat who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed concern about any decision to send additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Levin said the United States and NATO need to do more to increase the numbers and training of Afghan military and police forces.
这个星期，参议院军事委员会主席、民主党议员卡尔.莱文(Carl Levin)对是否应该向阿富汗增兵提出了疑问。莱文表示，美国和北约需要投入更多的精力和资源，扩充阿富汗军队和警方的人数，而且应当加强对阿富汗军队和警方的培训。
President Obama said on Wednesday there is no "immediate decision pending" on whether to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, adding he is determined to get the strategy there right, before making "determinations about resources."
奥巴马总统星期三表示，他不打算就派遣增援部队与否这个问题马上做出决定，而是说，在就人力和物力资源问题做出最后决定之前，决意要制定正确的战略。
General Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, is expected to request adding to the 65,000 U.S. troops there now.
据说美国阿富汗战事的总指挥麦克克里斯托将军(General Stanley McChrystal)要提议派遣更多的部队，增援目前在阿富汗的6万5千名美国官兵。
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen told Congress this week he expects more troops will be required.
美国参谋长联席会议主席马伦上将(Michael Mullen)这个星期对国会议员们表示，在他看来，将需要派遣更多的部队到阿富汗。
"It is very clear to me [that] we will need more resources," the admiral said.
他说：“我们需要更多的人力和物力资源，这在我看来是显而易见的。”
Representative Wolf is calling for the creation of a bipartisan panel composed of nationally-respected figures who would support the strategy being developed by U.S. military commanders, and assess progress and resources needed.
沃尔夫议员呼吁成立一个跨党派特别委员会，由举国上下倍受尊重的人士组成，支持军方将领做出的战略决定，并且对战事的进展和所需的资源做出评估。
Wolf says such a panel could "reinvigorate" national confidence in the war effort. But he goes further to urge President Obama to speak again to the American people about the stakes in Afghanistan.
沃尔夫议员说，这样的一个特别委员会将能够“重振”举国上下针对阿富汗战事的信心。不过，他进一步表示，奥巴马总统应当对全国人民发表讲话，重申这一仗为什么必须打。
"To address the nation and clearly outline several things: Why we are in Afghanistan, what is at stake and what is our plan. The American people have to know all three," he said.
沃尔夫议员说：“奥巴马总统需要向全国人民清晰地阐述几个问题：那就是，我们为什么要置身阿富汗?其中的利害何在?我们的计划是什么?美国民众有理由对这三个问题都掌握答案。”
Members of Congress received a classified briefing from Obama administration officials on Wednesday about the situation in Afghanistan.
星期三，一些国会议员从白宫官员那里听取了有关阿富汗局势的闭门简报。
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, a Demoract from Missouri described the sessions as an update on the situation in Afghanistan, adding it covered General McChrystal's assessment of what resources will be needed to implement President Obama's strategy.
众议院军事委员会主席、来自密苏里州的斯凯尔登(Ike Skelton)议员说，上述闭门简报涉及到的是阿富汗的最新局势，并且提到了麦克克里斯托将军提出的、完成奥巴马总统战略目标所需的资源。
Congressional Quarterly, a news organization covering the U.S. Congress, quoted an unclassified summary it obtained as listing U.S. objectives in Afghanistan and Pakistan, measures of progress toward achieving them, and stating a U.S. goal of disrupting, dismantling and defeating al-Qaida in both countries and preventing their return in the future.
国会季刊(Congressional Quarterly)是报道国会运作的刊物。国会季刊引用了它所得到的一个不保密的简报，列举了美国在阿富汗和巴基斯坦的目标，以及目前的进程。报道说，美国的战略目标是要挫败在阿富汗和巴基斯坦的基地组织，并且防止他们卷土重来。 |