Iraqi officials testifying before a committee of Congress have urged the United States to be cautious in how it withdraws military forces from their country. Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and another member of Iraq's parliament also said Thursday that national elections slated for January will mark a critical turning point and must be closely monitored by the international community.
到美国国会作证的伊拉克官员敦促美方在从伊拉克撤军的过程中一定要谨慎为之。伊拉克前总理阿拉维和另外一名伊拉克议会成员星期四在美国国会作证期间指出，定于明年一月举行的伊拉克全国大选将是一个重要的转折点，国际社会届时务必要密切关注事态的发展。
The hearing of the House of Representatives Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight was called to examine the Chapter Seven United Nations mandate for Iraq, which was extended in August for 12 months, as well as U.S.-Iraqi agreements and their implications for the future.
美国国会众议院的国际组织、人权以及监督小组委员会召集的听证会，目的是检验联合国宪章第七章针对伊拉克制订的方案，这一方案于上个月被延长一年。听证会也要检验美国和伊拉克之间达成的各种协议、以及这些协议对未来有可能产生的影响。
However much of the questioning by lawmakers focused on the political and security conditions in the country and what they could mean for Iraq's January national elections.
不过，议员们的提问，重点在于伊拉克目前的政治和安全局势、以及当前的局势对一月份的大选到底意味着什么。
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi said the United States and Iraq have similar goals. The U.S. wants to leave Iraq, but not in turmoil, he said, while Iraq seeks a path of prosperity and sovereignty where individual and minority rights are respected.
伊拉克前总理阿拉维表示，美国和伊拉克各自的目标实际上有很多相似之处。美国方面希望从伊拉克撤出，但是不希望在混乱之中撤离，而伊拉克方面则在寻求一条繁荣和主权的道路，希望每个人所拥有的权利以及少数族裔所拥有的权利都得到尊重。
But, both Allawi and parliament member Saleh al-Mutlaq pointed to political, sectarian and other problems as well as external factors, such as pressures from Iran, that could cause problems during and after the elections.
不过，阿拉维和穆特拉克议员两人都认为，伊拉克本身存在的政治、宗派等问题、再加上来自伊朗的压力等外部因素，都有可能在选举期间以及之后带来各种问题。
While Iraqis know the United States will be withdrawing its military forces, Allawi said Iraq's military remains unable to shoulder the security burden. And he said oustanding political and constitutional issues are also giving rise to severe tensions.
阿拉维说，尽管伊拉克人知道美国将要从伊拉克撤军，但是伊拉克军方目前还没有能力操控安全局势。他同时指出，政治上和宪法上一直没有解决的一些问题，也是造成局势紧张的因素。
"The implementation of [the] political reform act as passed by Parliament in 2008 is a must. The act includes, among [other things] amending the Constitution, instituting an inclusive political process and implementing political and national reconciliation. None of these steps has been acted upon, yet these steps are very necessary for the stabilization of Iraq," he said.
阿拉维说：“将议会于2008年通过的政治改革法案纳入实施，势在必行。这一方案要求修改宪法、实现政治程序的包容、并且要实现政治上的和解、全国上下的和解。迄今为止，所有这些步骤都还没有被正式采纳，而这些步骤对伊拉克的稳定极其重要。”
President Barack Obama has ordered all U.S. combat forces out of Iraq by the end of August of next year, and all U.S. forces gone by the end of 2011.
奥巴马总统下令美国的战斗部队明年八月底以前从伊拉克撤出，其他所有的美军部队2011年底以前全部撤出。
Saying the United States withdrawal should be "moral and responsible," Iraqi parliament member Saleh al-Mutlaq said the only way to ensure free and fair elections in his country is with a commitment by the U.S. and United Nations for thorough monitoring.
伊拉克议会成员穆特拉克说，美国从伊拉克撤军应该以“道德的和负责任的”方式进行；他还说，保证伊拉克明年的大选确实公平、自由的唯一方式，是美国和联合国承诺将密切关注整个选举过程。
"Without this monitoring, I believe that the election will be the same as happened before. The intimidation is already there, the assassinations are already there. And we have been getting so many warnings that we are going to be targeted, that our people are going to be targeted," he said.
他说：“没有美方和联合国的密切关注的话，我认为，明年的大选将和从前举行的大选没有什么两样。我们已经看到恐吓行为和暗杀行为。我们接到无数警告说，我们将成为袭击的目标、我们手下的人将成为袭击的目标。”
Calling the elections critical, not only for Iraq's future but for the region, the subcommittee Chairman, Democratic Representative William Delahunt, said a large international observer presence is required before and during the vote.
美国国会众议院国际组织、人权事务以及监督小组的负责人、民主党议员德拉亨特说，伊拉克定于明年初举行的大选非常关键，选前和选举期间有众多的国际观察员在场，非常有必要。
Pointing to questions about the legitimacy of the recent election in Afghanistan, Delahunt worries not only about a deterioration in Iraq, but the impact electoral problems in Iraq could have on the American public support for U.S. policy in Afghanistan.
德拉亨特议员援引阿富汗近期选举期间出现的问题说，如果伊拉克的选举也是问题百出的话，那么，不光是伊拉克本身的局势将要恶化，而且还势必影响到美国公众对阿富汗战事的支持率。
"If the election in January is unsuccessful, support here in this country for involvement in Afghanistan will diminish because the American people will be saying, 'We tried it once; it didn't work. And look what happened.' So this isn't just simply about supporting the Iraqi people and democracy in Iraq. It's about Afghanistan and I dare say it's about the entire region," he said.
德拉亨特议员说：“假如明年一月份的选举不成功的话，美国公众对阿富汗战事的支持将大幅下降，因为美国老百姓会说，‘我们已经试过了，结果并不成功；看看伊拉克的局势就知道是怎么回事了。’所以说，这不仅仅是支持伊拉克人民和伊拉克民主的问题，这同时也事关阿富汗，而且事关整个地区。”
The Democratic representative of the U.S. Congress to the United Nations, Delahunt said he will use consultations in New York next week to generate support for international monitoring of the Iraqi elections.
In his testimony to the subcommittee, Kenneth Katzman, a specialist in Middle East Affairs with the Congressional Research Service, warned that sectarianism in Iraq might worsen in the run-up to the elections. "Sectarianism, and ethnic and factional infighting continue to simmer. And many Iraqis' views and positions are colored by efforts to outflank, outmaneuver and constrain rival factions," he said.
美国国会研究中心的中东问题专家卡兹曼在听证会上警告说，伊拉克的宗派斗争和暴力有可能在大选之前愈发严重。卡兹曼说：“宗派之间的暴力、种族和派系之间的内部斗争还在继续着，很多伊拉克人的立场和观点都受到如何钳制和战胜敌对派系这种情结的直接影响。”
Katzman said sectarian tensions could reach a peak as Iraqis decide whether to hold a referendum on the U.S. military presence.
卡兹曼说，在伊拉克人决定是否针对美国在伊拉克驻军问题上进行全民公投期间，宗派之间的紧张局势有可能达到最严重的地步。
On the final day of a visit to Iraq, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday the United States will abide by any decisions by the Iraqi people on the U.S. withdrawal schedule, part of which was established in a Status of Forces Agreement reached during the Bush administration.
美国副总统拜登星期四在对伊拉克进行访问的最后一天表示，不管伊拉克民众针对美国的撤军时间表做出何种决定，美方都将按照伊拉克民众的意愿行事。布什总统任职期间，撤军时间表的一部分已经由美伊双方达成的协议做出规定。
In his testimony Thursday, former Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi voiced concern about what he called "reversals in security" after a fragile period of improvement, along with an upsurge in sectarian tensions.
星期四，伊拉克前总理阿拉维在美国国会听证会上表示，虽然伊拉克安全局势暂时出现过好转，但是形势的好转实际上是很脆弱的，而且他担心，随着宗派斗争的加剧，安全局势有可能会再次出现逆转。
The United States, he said, has a moral responsibility and national security interest in ensuring fraud-free elections in Iraq, which should include not only the deployment of U.S. forces, but a strong United Nations involvement.
阿拉维说，美方无论是出于道义的角度、还是国家安全利益的角度，都有责任保证伊拉克明年初的大选没有舞弊现象，也就是说，大选期间，不仅需要美国派遣军队，而且还需要联合国方面强有力的支持。 |