The top U.S. military officer says he is comfortable that Pakistan's nuclear weapons are secure, but he says he is gravely concerned about Taliban advances in the country and neighboring Afghanistan.
美国参谋长联席会议主席马伦上将说，他并不担心巴基斯坦核武器的安全，不过塔利班在巴基斯坦及其邻国阿富汗取得的进展使他非常担忧。
Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says the United States has worked with the Pakistani military to improve the security of their nuclear arsenal. He says he believes the weapons will be kept out of the hands of terrorists.
马伦上将说，美国一直在同巴基斯坦军方合作，提升巴基斯坦核武库的安全。他说，他相信这些核武器不会落入恐怖分子之手。
"I remain comfortable that the nuclear weapons in Pakistan are secure," said Admiral Mullen. "That the Pakistani leadership and in particular the military is very focused on this. We, the United States, have invested fairly significantly over the last three years to work with them to improve that security and we are satisfied, very satisfied, with that progress."
他说：“巴基斯坦的核武器是安全的，对此我仍然很有把握。巴基斯坦领导层，特别是军方非常关注这一问题。在过去3年中，美国花费了不少精力同巴基斯坦合作，提高核武器的安全，我们对这些工作所取得的进展感到非常满意。”
Earlier, The New York Times reported that some U.S. officials are increasingly worried about the potential vulnerability of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal as the country faces a surge of militant activity. Citing unnamed officials, the report says there is U.S. concern about the potential for militants to snatch a weapon being transported or to insert sympathizers into laboratories or fuel-production facilities.
较早前，美国的纽约时报报道说，由于巴基斯坦面临着激进分子活动浪潮的不断升高，一些美国官员越来越担心巴基斯坦核武库有受到侵犯的可能性。报道援引不具名官员的话说，美国担心激进分子可能会抢走在运输途中的核武器，或者安插同情塔利班的人进入核实验室或燃料生产设施。
Mullen acknowledges there is a limit to what the United States knows about Pakistan's nuclear weapons, but he says Islamabad has made dramatic improvements in the arsenal's security in recent years.
马伦上将承认，美国对巴基斯坦核武状况的了解程度有限，不过他说，巴基斯坦最近几年中已经显著提高了其核武库的安全性。
"We all recognize, obviously, the worse downside with respect to Pakistan is that those nuclear weapons come under the control of terrorists," he said. "I do not think that is going to happen. I do not see that in anyway imminent whatsoever at this particular point in time. But it is a strategic concern that we all share."
他说：“显然，我们都知道，对巴基斯坦来说，更坏的情况是这些核武器被恐怖分子控制。但我觉得这是不会发生的。在目前这种情况下，我觉得这种事情无论如何都决不会立即出现。不过，这是一个在战略上需要关注的事情，我们对此都很关注。”
Mullen says he is worried about recent military and political gains the Taliban and al-Qaida have made in Pakistan and southern Afghanistan.
他说，塔利班和基地组织最近在巴基斯坦和阿富汗南部取得的军事和政治胜利让他感到担心。
"I am gravely concerned about the progress they have made in the south and inside Pakistan," said Mike Mullen. "The consequences of their success directly threaten our national interests in the region and our safety here at home. This is not about 'can do' anymore, this is about 'must do."
他说：“我对他们在阿富汗南部和巴基斯坦境内取得的进展深感担心。这些恐怖分子的胜利直接威胁我们在这一地区的国家利益和我们的国内安全。问题已经不再是我们‘能做什么’，而是我们‘必须行动’。”
The Pakistan Army recently launched an offensive against the Taliban after militants entered the Buner district, 100 kilometers from Islamabad.
在塔利班激进分子攻入距离伊斯兰堡100公里远的布尼尔地区后，巴基斯坦军方最近对塔利班发起了进攻。
Admiral Mullen says it is too soon to tell whether those operations will have an impact over the long term.
马伦上将说，目前还不好说巴基斯坦的这些行动是否会产生长期影响。
"I am not trying to be judgmental in any way, shape or form, though I am following it very closely," he said. "Because I think the most important part of all this is, can these operations be sustained? And for Pakistan, not unlike other counterinsurgency efforts, there is a military piece of this. There is a clear piece of this. They are going through that now. But there also needs to be a hold and a build aspect of it."
他说：“我不想对这些行动作出任何判断，不过我在密切关注它们。因为我认为最重要的问题是这些行动是否能够持久。巴基斯坦的行动和其它的反暴乱努力一样，都包含军事行动的内容。这是很清楚的。巴基斯坦现在就在对激进分子发动军事行动。不过打击暴乱分子的努力还需要持久，需要有建设的内容。”
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, are scheduled to meet in Washington this week with President Barack Obama.
巴基斯坦总统扎尔达里和阿富汗总统卡尔扎伊本周将在华盛顿同美国总统奥巴马进行会晤。
The leaders are expected to discuss joint strategies to end violence and terrorism in their countries.
预计这3位领导人将讨论制订联合战略，以结束巴基斯坦和阿富汗的暴力事件和恐怖行动。 |