The Pentagon says orders to deploy additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan may not be issued until after a White House strategy review is completed. Previously, officials had said the troop deployment orders would come soon, regardless of the conclusions of the strategy review.
美国国防部表示，在白宫完成对阿富汗战略的审议工作前，军方可能不会下令向阿富汗部署更多美军。此前，有关官员曾说，不管战略审议工作是否完成，部署增援部队的命令都会很快下来。
It was just last week that Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell confirmed what he had said before, that regardless of what strategy President Obama adopts for Afghanistan, more troops will be needed to improve security.
就在上个星期，五角大楼新闻秘书莫雷尔还证实他之前所说的：无论奥巴马总统决定在阿富汗实施什么战略，美国都需要向阿富汗增派军队，以改善那里的安全状况。
"My understanding is that whatever decision is made, on additional forces for Afghanistan, will likely take place in advance of the conclusion of the strategy review that this White House has undertaken on Afghanistan," said Morrell.
莫雷尔说：“我认为，无论作出什么决定，在白宫对阿富汗战略的审议工作结束之前，美国可能就会向阿富汗增派部队。”
Morrell also said the logistics of sending tens of thousands of troops half-way around the world would require those decisions before the White House review is completed, which could be several weeks or more.
莫雷尔还说，把数万名军人派到遥远的阿富汗需要进行后勤安排，这也就决定了派兵的决定要在战略审议结束前作出，因为审议工作可能要持续几周甚至更长时间。
But another Pentagon spokesman, Bryan Whitman, said Monday the strategy review and the troops deployment decision are being conducted in "parallel" and that "time will tell" which is completed first.
但是，五角大楼发言人惠特曼星期一表示，战略审议工作和增兵部署决定正在“平行”进行，要“过一段时间”才能知道哪一个工作能先完成。
"There is certainly a fairly unanimous understanding that some level of force increase is necessary in Afghanistan. How much? When? All those things, those are being looked at. But is it conceivable that you could have some announcements about deployment orders, additional forces going into Afghanistan, before the strategy review is totally completed? Sure," he said. "Is it possible that we might not have those announcements until the strategy review is completed? Sure."
他说：“当然，一个比较具有共识的观点是，美国有必要向阿富汗增派一些兵力。但是，增派多少人？什么时候派出？所有这些问题还在商议当中。那么，在战略审议完全结束前是否可能宣布向阿富汗增兵的命令呢？当然有可能。但是，在战略审议结束前是否可能不宣布增兵命令呢？当然，这也是可能的。”
Whitman called weekend news reports of a delay in the troop deployments "fundamentally misinformed." The reports, including one in the Times of London, said President Obama decided to hold any deployment announcement at least until the strategy review is farther along.
在刚刚过去的这个周末，新闻报导说，美国将推迟向阿富汗增派部队。惠特曼说，这种说法是“根本错误的”。包括伦敦泰晤士报在内的一些媒体报导说，奥巴马总统决定，至少在进一步完成战略审议工作前将暂不宣布任何派兵决定。
Whitman said there was never a firm date for the deployment announcement, which many observers had expected last week. But at the same time, Whitman acknowledged he was being less "definitive" on the timing than his colleague Geoff Morrell has been in recent weeks.
许多观察人士都以为派兵决定会在上周公布。但惠特曼说，政府从来没有为宣布这一决定设定过任何确切日期。不过，他同时承认，他并不像自己的同事莫雷尔在最近几个星期里表现得那样对决定出台的时间那么“有把握”。
And while the White House review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan is continuing, Whitman also said Defense Secretary Robert Gates has not changed his view of the need for about 10,000 more U.S. combat troops and thousands more support troops to be sent there this year, in addition to several thousand who have already arrived.
他还说，虽然白宫对美国在阿富汗战略的审议工作还在进行，但是国防部长盖茨并没有改变立场，他依然认为，除了几千名已经抵达阿富汗的美军外，美国还需要在今年向阿富汗派遣大约1万人的作战部队和几千人的支援部队。
"There has been no change to what the secretary has characterized in the past in terms of what we believe is not only necessary, but also the timelines in which he remains hopeful to provide some of that capability," said Whitman.
惠特曼说：“盖茨部长并没有改变他过去所表示的观点，那就是我们必须向阿富汗增兵，而且他依然相信我们可以在今年完成部分增兵目标。”
The United States has about 36,000 troops in Afghanistan, and the further deployments could bring the number to about 60,000. U.S. officials have signaled that the Obama Administration, will continue to pursue a counterinsurgency strategy, trying to improve security, move to local control and reconciliation, and promote economic development. But they also say some broader Bush administration goals, such as establishing a western-style democracy and society, may be put aside, at least for the next several years.
美国在阿富汗驻扎着大约三万六千名军人，增兵之后这一数字可能会达到大约6万。美国有关官员表示，奥巴马政府将继续奉行打击暴乱活动的战略，尽力改善安全状况，将控制权交给阿富汗地方政府，并促进和解，推动经济发展。但是他们还表示，至少在未来几年内，布什政府曾设定的一些更广泛的目标，诸如建立西方式民主和社会等将被搁置起来。 |