VOA双语新闻 Pentagon Probes Release of Saddam Photos（在线收听）

The U.S. Defense Department says it did not orchestrate the release of photos of Saddam Hussein in jail, wearing only underpants in one picture, and is investigating how the shots were taken and published.

美国国防部说它没有参与公布萨达姆的狱中照片，其中有萨达姆仅穿着内裤的照片。国防部目前正在调查这些照片是如何拍摄和发表的。

A statement issued by the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq says it is 'aggressively' investigating who took the pictures and how they were made public. The statement says the photos were taken in what it calls "clear violation" of procedures, and appear to be more than a year old. It says the command is "disappointed at the possibility that someone responsible for the security, welfare and detention of Saddam would take and provide these photos for public release."

美国领导的驻伊拉克联军发表的声明说，有关照片是谁拍摄的和如何公布于众的调查正在紧张进行。声明说拍摄这些照片明显违反了禁令。照片可能拍摄于一年多前。声明说司令官对负责萨达姆的安全、福利和拘留的人员可能拍摄并将这些照片公布于众感到失望。

At the Pentagon, spokesman Brian Whitman expressed regret at the release of the photos. "Clearly these are images that should not have been released to the public," he said.

五角大楼发言人怀特曼对照片被公布表示遗憾。怀特曼说很明显这些照片不应该公布于众。

The pictures were first published by The Sun newspaper in London. The paper reported it received them from a U.S. military source who hoped the humiliating photos would hurt the Iraqi insurgency, which has been conducting an intensified bombing campaign in recent weeks. The Sun quotes its source as saying the pictures show that Saddam is a "humble, old man now" and that they prove that his Baath Party is "never coming back."

照片最先登在伦敦出版的《太阳报》上。报纸报导说这些照片来自美军内部，提供这些侮辱性的照片的人说希望籍此打击伊拉克抵抗力量。伊拉克的抵抗力量几周来加强了炸弹袭击的力度。《太阳报》援引提供照片的人士的话说，萨达姆“现在只是一个卑贱的老头了”。这些照片可以证明萨达姆的复兴党“一去不复返了”。

But Brian Whitman, the Pentagon spokesman, says the Defense Department did not release the photos officially. "No, it wasn't an official release by the military, and I'm not sure that's an accurate representation of how these things made it into the media, either," he said.

但是五角大楼发言人怀特曼说国防部没有正式公布这些照片。他说：“这不是美国军方公布的。我也没有一个关于照片如何会到媒体手中的准确说法。”

Mr. Whitman acknowledged that the pictures could have been released by an individual soldier, in violation of Defense Department policy. And he said they could be a violation of the Geneva Convention, too. "Well, it's possible. Clearly, these are in contravention to our policies and, depending on when they were taken, possibly could be a violation of Geneva Convention guidelines for humane treatment of detained individuals," he said.

怀特曼认为这可能是个别美军士兵的行为，违反了国防部的规定。他说这也可能触犯了日内瓦公约。怀特曼说：“有这种可能性。 很明显，这违反了我们的规定。根据拍摄的时间，也许还触犯了日内瓦公约中关于人道对待战俘的规定。”

The Pentagon spokesman says the question of whether there was a Geneva Convention violation would in part depend on whether the photos were taken when Saddam was officially a U.S. prisoner, or more recently when he has technically been in Iraqi custody, with U.S. help in providing his security. Either way, he says if a U.S. soldier was involved in the photo release, it would be a violation of Defense Department procedures.

五角大楼发言人所指的可能触犯日内瓦公约部份，要看照片拍摄的时间是萨达姆正式在美国囚禁期间还是在最近技术性的转移到伊拉克关押、但由美国提供安全保障期间。但不管是何种情况， 如果有美军军人参与其中，都违反了国防部的规定。

Meanwhile, the Pentagon declined to comment for publication on a New York Times report detailing widespread abuses of prisoners in U.S. custody in Afghanistan. The Times says it obtained a confidential file from a U.S. Army investigation. It reports that young, poorly trained soldiers chained a prisoner's hands to the ceiling of his cell for most of four days, stood on a prisoner's neck and kicked at least one in the genitals, among other abusive practices. The report appears to provide details of incidents that were already known, and which resulted in the deaths of two detainees and criminal charges against seven soldiers.

同时，五角大楼拒绝评论纽约《时代》杂志关于在阿富汗的美军监狱虐待囚犯的报导。《时代》杂志说它有一份来自美国军方的秘密调查报告，报告指缺乏训练的年轻士兵将一名囚犯用链子捆住双手吊在牢房的天花板上长达四天。有的士兵站在囚犯的脖子上，还至少剔过一名囚犯的生殖器。还有其他的虐待行为。报告还提供了一些人们已经知道的事件的细节。那次事件造成两名囚犯死亡，七名士兵受到犯罪指控。