The commander of multi-national forces in Iraq's northern provinces reports significant progress in the battle against terrorists and insurgents, allowing the region to turn its attention to economic matters and other concerns.
驻伊拉克北部各省的多国部队司令马克.赫特林报告说，多国部队打击恐怖分子和反叛分子的行动取得重大进展，从而使得该地区将注意力转向经济和其它事务。
Despite a recent wave of suicide attacks in Iraq, U.S. Major General Mark Hertling says he has never been more hopeful about the country's future as he is right now.
尽管伊拉克最近发生了一连串自杀式袭击事件，但是美军的马克.赫特林少将表示，他从来没有像现在这样对伊拉克的前途感到乐观。
"We have seen a sharp decline, not only in attacks, but [also] in foreign fighters traversing the western Ninawa deserts. And we have captured or killed dozens of mid and high-level [terrorist] operatives in the province and in the city of Mosul itself. With the Iraqi army, we have also disrupted the flow of foreign terrorists from Syria," he said.
赫特林说：“我们看到，反叛分子袭击的数量和外国战斗人员从尼尼微西部进入伊拉克的人数都在急剧下降。我们俘虏或打死在尼尼微省和摩苏尔城活动的几十名中层和高层恐怖分子。我们还跟伊拉克军队一道，粉碎了外国恐怖分子从叙利亚进入伊拉克的行动。”
Hertling was speaking near Tikrit in a teleconference with reporters at the Pentagon.
赫特林是在提克里特附近跟五角大楼记者举行视频记者会时说的这番话。
The general says Iraqi army and police forces are growing in numbers and becoming more effective every day, contributing to a markedly-improved security situation in the country's northern provinces. As a result, he says residents and local governments have been able to devote greater attention to infrastructure and employment needs.
赫特林说，伊拉克军队和警察部队的数量正在与日壮大，战斗力也日见加强，为伊拉克北部各省安全局势的明显改善做出贡献。赫特林表示，当地居民和政府因此才能够全力以赴地进行基础设施建设，解决就业等问题。
Hertling stresses that the battle against terrorists and insurgents is far from won. He says many combatants have been forced from cities like Mosul and are now attempting to regroup in villages and rural areas. This trend has necessitated a new initiative, called Operation Iron Pursuit, to hunt down terrorists outside urban areas.
赫特林强调，打击恐怖分子和反叛分子的斗争还远远没有取得最后的胜利。他说，许多敌方战斗人员被从摩苏尔等城市赶走，目前正企图在乡村地区重新集结。因此我们有必要通过新的行动追捕城外的恐怖分子，这项行动的代号是“无情的追捕行动”。
"It is a very hopeful time in Iraq, but there are still a lot of enemy [fighters] out there, and in order to get the people of Iraq completely secure, we have to continue to go after al-Qaida and the other extremists," he added.
赫特林说：“伊拉克目前的局势非常乐观，但是那里仍然有不少敌人，为了彻底保证伊拉克人民的安全，我们必须继续追捕基地恐怖分子和其他极端主义分子。”
Hertling noted that Georgian troops serving in Iraq have been called home as a result of their country's ongoing conflict with Russia. But the general expressed confidence that the departure of Georgian forces, which total 2,000 in Iraq, would not significantly weaken multi-national operations.
赫特林特别指出，布署在伊拉克的格鲁吉亚军队已经被召回国，因为格鲁吉亚目前正在跟俄罗斯发生武装冲突。不过赫特林表示，他坚信格鲁吉亚两千军人的离开不会明显削弱多国部队在伊拉克的行动。 |