President Barack Obama says the military mission by the United States and its allies to protect civilians and enforce a no-fly zone in Libya is working. The president plans to speak to the American people late Monday about the operation.
美国总统奥巴马表示，美国及其盟友在利比亚保护平民并执行禁飞区的军事行动正在奏效。奥巴马总统计划星期一晚上就利比亚的军事行动向美国人民发表讲话。
President Obama says that one week into the mission, U.S. and allied forces are successfully protecting civilians from attacks by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s forces.
奥巴马总统说，美国及其盟友已经在利比亚执行了一周的任务，成功地保护了平民免受利比亚领导人卡扎菲军队的袭击。
"We are succeeding in our mission," he said. "We have taken out Libya’s air defenses. Gadhafi’s forces are no longer advancing across Libya. In places like Benghazi, a city of some 700,000 that Gadhafi threatened to show ‘no mercy,’ his forces have been pushed back."
他说：“我们的任务正在取得成功。我们已经消除了利比亚的防空力量。卡扎菲的军队已经不再能在利比亚境内推进。卡扎菲曾威胁说要在像班加西之类约有70万人的城市，采取‘毫不留情’的行动，但他的部队现在也已经在那里被击退。”
In his weekly address to the nation, Obama said the joint effort is showing results, and Libyan civilians have expressed gratitude.
奥巴马在他的全国每周例行讲话中说，联合行动正在奏效，利比亚平民对此表达了感激之情。
"Because we acted quickly, a humanitarian catastrophe has been avoided and the lives of countless civilians - innocent men, women and children - have been saved," he said.
他说：“由于我们行动迅速，避免了一场人道灾难。无数平民的生命、那些无辜的男女老幼，都得到拯救。”
The president’s message was intended to reassure Americans about the purpose and effectiveness of the mission in Libya.
奥巴马总统发出的信息是为了让美国人对利比亚行动的目的和效果感到安心。
A Gallup opinion poll taken Monday shows 47 percent of Americans approve of the operation, while 37 percent disapprove. Separately, a CBS survey indicates that 50 percent of Americans agree with Obama’s handling of the situation, while 29 percent do not. Gallup says its approval figure was lower than for other U.S. military campaigns in the past four decades.
星期一进行的一项盖洛普民意调查显示，47%的美国人赞成这次行动，但37%的人表示并不认同。哥伦比亚广播公司所作的另一项调查显示，50%的美国人认同奥巴马应对这一局势的举措，而有29%的人持有相反看法。盖洛普表示，美国利比亚行动的支持率低于美军在过去四十年采取的任何其它军事行动。
White House officials deny criticism by some lawmakers - both Republicans and members of Obama's own Democratic Party - that the president did not seek congressional authorization or adequately consult with lawmakers before embarking on the military action.
白宫官员否定来自某些民主党和共和党议员的批评，那些人说，总统在开始军事行动之前没有寻求议会批准， 也没有与议员进行适当的磋商。
Some critics contend that Obama did not exhaust all diplomatic options before calling out the military. They also say the U.S. cannot afford the cost of the conflict, and that the nation should not be taking on a mission Libya, when it is already involved in Iraq and Afghanistan.
一些批评人士争辩说，奥巴马在采取军事行动之前没有尝试一切其它外交途径。他们还说，美国无法再承受为冲突付出的代价，这个国家不应该在同时卷入伊拉克和阿富汗战争的情况下，再承担利比亚使命。
The White House says urgent and quick action was needed in Libya and the president was well within his constitutional authority to take military action.
白宫说，需要对利比亚采取紧急而迅速的行动，而采取军事行动是完全在宪法授予总统的权限范围内的。
The U.S. is transferring leadership of the operation to NATO. Obama said this is how the international community should work, with more countries assuming the responsibility and cost of the effort.
美国正把这项行动的领导权转交给北约。奥巴马说，这是国际社会如何有效运作的方式，即有更多的国家共同承担责任和费用。
"Our allies and partners are enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya and the arms embargo at sea," said the president. "Key Arab partners like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have committed aircraft. And as agreed this week, responsibility for this operation is being transferred from the United States to our NATO allies and partners."
他说：“我们的盟友和伙伴正在利比亚上空执行禁飞区使命，并在海上实行武器禁运。像卡塔尔和阿联酋之类的主要阿拉伯伙伴已经派出了战机。根据本星期的一致意见，这一行动的领导责任正从美国转移给北约盟友和伙伴。”
Obama briefed bipartisan congressional leaders Friday about the situation in Libya and transfer of command and control. The president will explain the mission to the American people in an address from the White House late Monday.
奥巴马星期五向两党国会议员简述了利比亚局势以及指挥控制权的转移。总统将于星期一晚间在白宫向美国民众讲解这次行动。 |