Days after President Barack Obama unveiled a new U.S. war strategy in Afghanistan, U.S. officials are stressing an eventual drawdown of American troops will be done gradually and in a manner that allows Afghan forces to assume security responsibilities.
在奥巴马总统披露美国对阿富汗新战略的几天后，美国官员目前正在强调美军最终将逐步撤离，而美军的撤离将让阿富汗部队承担安全责任。
President Obama's plan for Afghanistan calls for the rapid deployment of an additional 30,000 U.S. troops and specifies July, 2011 as the starting point for reducing U.S. combat forces.
奥巴马总统在阿富汗的计划要求三万美军增援部队迅速部署当地，并且定下从2011年7月开始减少美军战斗部队在当地的驻守。
Defense Secretary Robert Gates addressed the withdrawal date on ABC's "This Week" program.
国防部长盖茨在美国广播公司的“本周”节目上谈到了这一撤军日期。
"I do not consider this an exit strategy, and I try to avoid using that term. This is a transition that is going to take place, and it is not an arbitrary date," Gates said.
盖茨说：“我不认为这是一种撤退战略，而且我也尽量避免使用那一字眼。这是即将开始的过渡阶段，而且这不是一个任意定下的日期。”
Gates said the transition to Afghan control of security operations will begin in the country's more stable regions, and will be done gradually and as local conditions allow. In the interim, the Obama plan calls for training Afghan security forces on an accelerated schedule.
盖茨说，向阿富汗移交安全控制工作将在这个国家比较稳定的地区开始，而且将在当地条件许可的情况下逐步进行。就目前而言，奥巴马的计划要求更加紧训练阿富汗安全部队。
But many Republican lawmakers, such as Arizona Senator John McCain, oppose any target date for drawing down American troops.
但是许多共和党立法人员，例如亚利桑那州的麦凯恩参议员，反对定下任何美军撤离阿富汗的日期。
"When conditions on the ground have decisively begun to change for the better, that is when our troops should start to return home with honor," McCain said. "Not one minute longer, not one minute sooner, and certainly not on some arbitrary date in July, 2011."
麦凯恩说：“只有在当地情况已经绝对开始好转的时候，我们的军队才能开始荣归故里、返回家园。撤离时间必须不早也不晚，而且一定不能独断独行地定下2011年7月撤军的日期。”
But the head of U.S. Central Command of the armed forces, General David Petraeus, disputes any characterization of the July, 2011 date as a predetermined launch of a swift U.S. retreat from Afghanistan. Petraeus, who engineered the 2007 U.S. military surge in Iraq, spoke on "Fox News Sunday."
但是美军中央司令部司令彼德雷乌斯将军驳斥了把2011年7月定性为美军开始撤离阿富汗的预定日期。策划了2007年美国军方向伊拉克增兵行动的彼德雷乌斯在“福克斯周日新闻”节目上发表谈话说：
"This [date] does not trigger a rush to the exits," Petraeus said. "It triggers a beginning of a transition to Afghan security forces, and over time a beginning of transition of tasks to Afghan governmental elements, as well."
“这个日期并不引发匆忙撤离。它是促使安全控制开始向阿富汗安全部队移交，而在一段时间后，也要开始向阿富汗政府部门移交责任。”
In his speech to the nation last Tuesday, President Obama stated that U.S. commitment to the eight-year Afghan conflict cannot be open-ended, and that President Hamid Karzai must take steps to crack down on corruption and improve governance in his country.
奥巴马总统上星期二在向全国发表的讲话中声明，美国在历时八年的阿富汗冲突中所作的努力不能没有确切结果，而且卡尔扎伊总统必须采取步骤清除腐败，并改进本国的治理。
While urging reform in Afghanistan, U.S. officials say the future of America's mission in the country will not be dictated by what Afghan officials accomplish or fail to do. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also appeared on "This Week".
美国官员在敦促阿富汗改革时说，美国在这个国家的未来使命不会由阿富汗官员的政绩或失误来支配。美国国务卿克林顿也在“本周”节目上露面。
"I cannot predict everything that is going to happen with President Karzai, but I think it is important to stress that this decision was based on what we believe is best for the United States," Clinton said. "And we have to have a realistic view of who we are working with in Afghanistan."
克林顿说：“我不能预见卡尔扎伊将发生的每一种情况，但是我认为重要的是得强调我们相信作出目前这个决定的依据是美国的最佳利益。而且我们必须对我们在阿富汗的工作伙伴持有现实的观点。”
Congressional opposition to President Obama's Afghan war plan appears stronger among left-leaning members of his own Democratic Party than opposition Republicans.
Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin was noncommittal when asked if he would back the plan on "Fox News Sunday".
"I am skeptical as to whether 30,000 more troops will make a difference [in Afghanistan]," Durbin said. "But I would like to believe by July, 2011 that we will be in a position where we are going to see our troops really coming home."
President Obama says the goal in Afghanistan remains unchanged from eight years ago: to disrupt and dismantle terrorist groups and defeat violent extremists. Asked whether the United States knows the current hiding place of al-Qaida kingpin Osama bin Laden, Defense Secretary Gates said, "If we did, we would go get him."
奥巴马总统说，美国在阿富汗的目标仍然和八年前一样：那就是打击摧毁恐怖集团，并且击败极端分子。当国防部长盖茨被问及：美国是否知道本拉登目前的藏身地点时，他说，“要是我们知道的话，我们就会去抓他了。” |