British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced a broad, independent inquiry into the country's involvement in the Iraq war. But despite considerable pressure, Mr. Brown said the inquiry would not be held in public.
英国首相布朗宣布就英国卷入伊拉克战争的问题进行一次范围广泛的独立调查。但是尽管有很大的压力，布朗说，这次调查将不公开进行。
Speaking before the House of Commons, Mr. Brown said since British military operations in Iraq have ended, the time had come for a thorough inquiry into the war.
布朗在下议院讲话时说，既然英国在伊拉克的军事任务已经结束，现在是对战争进行彻底调查的时候了。
"I am today announcing the establishment of an independent privy counselor committee of inquiry. It will consider the period from summer 2001, before military operations began in March 2003, and our subsequent involvement in Iraq right until the end of July this year," he said.
布朗说：“我今天宣布成立独立调查顾问委员会。该委员会将调查从2001年夏天到2003年三月军事行动开始之前，以及我们随后参与伊拉克战争直到今年7月结束为止这段时间。”
The prime minister said the inquiry would be fully independent with access to all relevant British documents and witnesses. Mr. Brown said he expected it to last about one year.
布朗说，这次调查会完全独立，可以查阅所有和英国有关文件，探访证人。布朗说，他预期这次调查将进行大约一年。
"I have asked the members of the inquiry that the final report of the inquiry will be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information, that is, all information except that which is essential to our national security," he added.
他说“我已经要求委员会成员，这个调查报告的最终结果除了最敏感的信息以外将会公布于众，也就是说，除了最重要的国家安全问题外，其他所有的信息都可以公布。”
Prime Minister Brown said the disclosed findings would be debated in parliament. But, he said the inquiry itself would be conducted in private.
布朗首相说，公布的结果将在议会进行辩论。但是布朗说，调查本身将在私下进行。
That displeased those who had pushed for a full public inquiry into the war, among them Nick Clegg, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats.
这使得那些推动进行公开调查卷入伊拉克战争原因的人士感到非常不快，尼克·克莱格就是这些人士当中的一位，他是反对派自由民主党的领导人。
"A secret inquiry conducted by a clutch of grandees, handpicked by the prime minister is not what Britain needs. Does the Prime Minister not understand that the purpose of an inquiry is not just to produce a set of conclusions, but to allow the people of Britain to come to terms with a mistake made in their name," said Clegg.
克莱格说：“由一伙贵族，首相精心挑选的人所进行的秘密调查不是英国所需要的。首相先生难道不明白调查的目的不是仅仅为了得出一套结论，而是要允许英国民众明白以他们的名义所犯的错误。”
Mr. Brown said a private inquiry would encourage witnesses to speak out more freely. He also said the investigation would not seek to lay blame.
布朗说，私下调查可以鼓励见证人更自由地讲话，他还说，这次调查不会追究责任。
"As I have made clear the primary objective of the committee will be to identify lessons learned. The committee will not set out to apportion blame or consider issues of civil or criminal liability," Brown explained.
他说：“就像我已经清楚地表明的那样，这个委员会的主要目标不是指明所得到的教训。这个委员会不会追究责任，不会考虑民事或是刑事责任的问题。”
That comment did not go down well with the leader of the opposition Conservatives, David Cameron.
这种说法没有顺利地得到认可，反对派保守党的领导人戴维·卡梅伦反驳说：
"If mistakes were made we need to know who made them and why they were made," he said.
“如果犯了错误，我们需要知道是谁犯了这些错误，为什么犯了这些错误。”
Britain has held four different and more specific inquiries into the Iraq war. This one is designed to be the most comprehensive.
英国已经对伊拉克战争进行了四次不同、也更为具体的调查。这次调查是所有调查中最全面的一次。
British forces were based mainly in southern Iraq, around the city of Basra. They ended full military operations at the end of April and fewer than 500 British troops remain in the country. Britain says 179 of its troops have died in Iraq.
英国军队在伊拉克主要驻守在南方城市巴士拉附近。他们四月底结束了所有的军事任务，目前只有500名军人留守在伊拉克。英国说，179名将士在伊拉克战争中殉职。 |