Top US Officer Sees More US Troop Cuts in Iraq
马伦：伊若继续改善则可再减驻军

　
The top U.S. military officer says if current trends continue he expects to recommend further U.S. troop reductions in Iraq.

美国参谋长联席会议主席说，如果目前的趋势能继续下去，他会建议进一步减少在伊拉克的美军。

Admiral Mike Mullen says he found more progress on security than he had expected when he visited Iraq last week. And while he would not provide details, he said he could recommend further U.S. troop reductions when the next round of military recommendations go to President Bush in September.

美国参谋长联席会议主席麦克·马伦海军上将说，他上星期访问伊拉克时发现，那里在安全方面取得的进展比他预期的多。马伦没有透露其它详情，但是他表示，他9月份向布什总统提出下一轮军事建议时，会建议进一步削减驻伊美军。

"I will not go so far as to say that progress in Iraq from a military perspective has reached a tipping point, or it is irreversible," said Admiral Mullen. "It has not and it is not. But security is unquestionably and remarkably better. Indeed, if these trends continue, I expect to be able, early in the fall, to be able to recommend to the secretary and the president further troop reductions."

马伦说：“现在我并不会认为从军事角度看伊拉克取得的安全进展达到一个转折时刻，或者说取得了不可逆转的进展。现在还没有。不过，安全形势有明显好转，这毫无疑问。当然，如果这种趋势继续下去，我想我会在初秋的时候建议国防部长和总统进一步削减驻伊拉克美军。”

The last of the additional U.S. combat troops sent to Iraq last year as part of the surge of forces are scheduled to be out of the country by next week. That triggers a period of assessment by commanders there, and in Washington, that is expected to culminate in early September with new recommendations on U.S. troop levels.

美国准备将去年向伊拉克增派的最后一批作战部队在下星期之前撤离伊拉克。在伊拉克和华盛顿的美军指挥官员因此会在今后一段时间里进行评估，预计在9月初结束评估时将提出驻伊拉克美军数量的新建议。

Commanders have been reluctant to say now what they might recommend in September, so Admiral Mullen's statement came as a surprise to may observers. He said it resulted from what he saw during his recent visit to Iraq.

美国军方高层指挥人员一直不愿意透露他们在9月可能提出什么建议，因此马伦海军上将的这段话让许多观察人士感到意外。他说，他的想法来自他最近伊拉克之行的所见所闻。

"I fully expected to find security conditions much improved, and they were," he said. "I did not expect, however, that those conditions would be at such a level that I could walk the Jamilla Market in Sadr City, or visit an outpost in what had recently been one of the most violent neighborhoods in Mosul, or that Iraqi security forces would now have the confidence and the command to take the lead as much as they are."

马伦说：“我完全想到了伊拉克安全局势有所改善，事实正是如此。但我没有想到的是那里的安全形势发生了如此明显的改善，我可以在萨德尔城的贾米拉市场上步行，可以视察在摩苏尔的一个哨所，那里不久之前还是摩苏尔暴力事件最严重的地区之一。我还看到伊拉克安全部队现在有信心，也有指挥能力，尽可能多地负责维持伊拉克的安全。”

Admiral Mullen also repeated that he is eager to reduce the U.S. troop commitment to Iraq, if he can do so without risking security gains, in order to make more troops available for Afghanistan, where a resurgent Taliban and a porous border with Pakistan have led to deterioration of the security situation.

马伦海军上将还一再表示，如果削减驻伊拉克美军不会危及到伊拉克目前取得的安全进展，他会愿意减少美国军队在伊拉克的任务，以便腾出兵力支援阿富汗，因为塔利班在阿富汗死灰复燃，巴基斯坦边界管理疏松，导致阿富汗的安全局势恶化。