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Where does the Afghan war go now? |
"It's not pretty but it is progress." That is the view from the top - the opinion of Lt Col Jim Morris, commander of 45 Commando, Royal Marines.「良くはないが前進している。」というのが、英海軍第45特殊部隊指揮官ジム・モーリス少佐の戦況判断である。We spent nearly a week with him and his troops in the Sangin river valley, seeing for ourselves what progress has been made and where the war in Afghanistan goes from now. Most of the marines deployed here were just children when this conflict began but seven years later and they are the ones going on patrol.我々はサンギン渓谷を彼が率いる軍に1週間同行して、これまでの前進と、今後のアフガニスタンでの戦争の行方を探った。海兵隊員のほとんどはこの紛争が起こったときは、まだ子供であったが、7年後の今、こうして警備にあたっている。They are barely out of their teens but already they carry a battle-worn maturity far beyond their years - they are the face of Britain's ongoing war in Afghanistan. The pre-patrol briefing warns of the dangers that lie in wait for the marines: "We have received a specific threat of a Taleban suicide bomber in the market."彼らは、20歳を超えたばかりであるが、年齢以上に戦争でやつれてどこか大人びていて、このアフガニスタンでイギリスの今の戦争を物語っている。海兵隊員を待ち受けている危険について、パトロール前に注意事項伝達があった。「市場でタリバンが自爆テロを行うという強迫情報を入手した。」A description of the attacker is read out - a beard, a black turban, teeth missing. It could be more than half the men who live and work right outside the gates of this base. This area used to be the scene of ferocious pitched battles. These days the marines fight an enemy that is increasingly hard to see. The risks are less apparent but no less treacherous - deadly roadside bombs or suicide attackers.テロリストの人相が読み上げられた。「髭を生やし、黒いターバンを着て、歯が抜けている。」。。。基地の外で生活している半数以上の男たちに当てはまる人相だ。この辺りは激しい戦争の舞台となった地域である。最近は、海兵隊は、ますます見えなくなりつつある敵と戦っている。こうした危険ははっきりしないというだけでなく、だまされるようなもので、たとえば、道端の爆弾とか、自爆テロなどである。Uneasy silence「不気味な沈黙」We moved out of the fortified base near Sangin town with Whisky Company, travelling by foot. Every few minutes the patrol goes to ground, crouching or kneeling, weapons drawn, alert for danger.我々は、ウイスキー工場のあるサンギン市近郊の要塞基地から歩いて外に出た。数分ごとに、パトロールは地面に身をかがめたり、ひざまずいたりして、武器を抜いて危険に警戒する。An uneasy silence infects the town. Within minutes word has spread that the marines are coming. People stand to one side, business stops and vehicles know not to approach. Many British troops have fought here and more than a few have lost their lives to try to make this town safer and prosperous.町には異様な静けさが浸透している。じきに海兵隊がやって来るという噂が流れ、人々は道の片側に立ち、商売は止み、車は接近禁止となる。イギリスの軍隊はここで戦い、この町の安全と繁栄のために命を落とす者も少なくなかった。A park has been built, a school is under construction, a mosque renovated and farmers are being helped to grow crops other than opium. It should be enough to guarantee support, or at least acquiescence, but Sangin town still feels on edge.公園を作り、学校は目下建設中で、モスクを改修し、農場での麻薬以外の穀物生産を援助している。支持を得られてもおかしくないはずであり、少なくとも受け入れられてもいいはずであるが、サンギンの町は、未だに緊迫している。'Too much fighting'「多すぎる撃ち合い」The marines are eyed with suspicion - distrust of foreigners runs deep and every time they walk through here, they face a significant risk of death.As the patrol heads to the market, a van drives towards us. This one does not pull to one side or slow down.海兵隊は疑いの目で見られている。外人への不信は根深く、彼らがこの地を歩くときは、常に死の危険と向き合うことになる。パトロールが市場に向かっていると、一台のバンが向かってきた。道の片側に寄らずに速度を落とさなかった。The marines move into position. One shouts and waves at the van but still it drives towards us. It is now under 50 metres away.A warning shot is fired and the van finally stops. If it had been a suicide attack, many of the marines would have been seriously injured or worse.海兵隊は位置につき、一人が叫びバンに向かって手を振ったが、バンはそのまま向かってきた。50m以下に接近していた。威嚇射撃でバンがようやく止まったが、もしそれが自爆テロであったら、多くの海兵隊員が死傷したはずだった。"There is too much fighting," a young man in the market says. Afghanistan remains a divided country but this is one thing all can agree on - security trumps all. They tell me that they do not feel safe, that there are too many bombs, too many guns. People are scared of the Taleban, who use violence and threats against them. But nor do they want foreign troops here.What they want is for the government and the Afghan National Army (ANA) to take charge. That is what many members of the coalition want too.「ここでは撃ち合いが多すぎる。」と、市場の若者は言う。アフガニスタンはいまも分裂した国のままだが、一つ皆が一致していることは、安全こそがすべてに勝るということだ。彼らが言うには、ここは安全ではなく、たくさんの爆弾があり、銃がある。人々は彼らに暴力をふるい脅すタリバンを怖れているが、外国の軍隊も望んではいない。彼らが国とアフガン国際部隊(ANA)に望むことは、責任を持つということ。このことが援助国の多くが望んでいることである。Dearth of hope「希望の枯渇」We went on patrol with the ANA in the fields around Sangin. "The time is very near when we can keep our country secure without foreign forces," says Major Zargai. He has certainly won the respect of his British counterparts and many local residents but there are still too few well-trained Afghan soldiers to be able to take the lead.我々はサンギン周辺をANAと一緒にパトロールに出かけた。「もうじき、外国の軍隊なしでもこの国の安全を維持することができる。」と、ザルガイ首相は言った。彼は、確かに、イギリスの要人や多くの駐在大使らの信頼を得ているが、アフガン兵士に主導するために十分訓練された者がいない。From London to Washington to Kabul, a debate is now under way about what success in Afghanistan will look like and who will achieve it. Lt Col Morris says there is progress here but admits it is slow. As for "success", most agree that it will not necessarily be decided here in Helmand. "The military will not be the solution - they will be part of the solution - and we're here to provide the security conditions for an eventual solution to take place," he says.ロンドンからワシントン、カブールに至るまで、アフガニスタンでどのような成功があり、誰がそれを成し遂げるかについて、いま議論されている。Col Morris少佐は、「前進はあるが、ゆっくりしていることは認めている。成功についていえば、ここ、ヘルマンドでは必ずしも決まらないと誰もが認めている。軍隊は解決ではなく、手段である。我々は今後の解決策に必要な安全を確保するために配備されている。」と、言う。Expectations are now being lowered across the board and people talk dismissively about the grand vision for the future of Afghanistan as laid out at the Bonn Conference in 2001. This was supposed to be "the good war", the one all could agree on, the one that it was possible to win.期待は薄れてきて、2001年のボン会議で示されたアフガニスタンの将来の全体像に悲観的な見方が漂っている。この戦争は、「良い戦争」だと思われていた。全員が合意できる戦争であり、勝利できる戦争であると思われていた。Today there is little talk of democracy or equality or "winning the war", instead there is growing insecurity and corruption and "expectation management".Seven years since the overthrow of the Taleban and there is a dearth of hope in Afghanistan.いまや、民主主義とか平等、戦争の勝利ということはまったく話されることなく、その代りに、ますます不安と頽廃、想定的な対処があるだけである。タリバンの掃討から7年、アフガニスタンには希望の枯渇があるのみである。 |
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【ガザ市(パレスチナ自治区)23日時事】http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?k=200901/2009012301082&rel=j&g=int
【ラファ(パレスチナ自治区ガザ)23日時事通信】。。より 固定リンク | コメント (0) | トラックバック (8)
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The House on Wednesday evening passed an $819 billion economic stimulus package Wednesday on a party-line vote, despite President Obama's efforts to achieve bipartisan support for the bill.The final vote was 244 to 188. No Republicans voted for the bill, while 11 Democrats voted against it.The Senate is likely to take up the bill next week.
"I hope that we can continue to strengthen this plan before it gets to my desk," Obama said in a statement after the vote. "We must move swiftly and boldly to put Americans back to work, and that is exactly what this plan begins to do."
In floor debate earlier, House Democrats offered near-unanimous support for the bill, touting the package's ability to quickly create jobs and jumpstart economic growth.
"One week and one day ago, our new President delivered a great inaugural address ... which I believe is a great blueprint for the future," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "With swift and bold action today, we are doing just that -- with this vote today, we are taking America in a new direction."
But Republicans, who are outnumbered in the House, have pushed back, expressing concern about the large amount of spending in the bill, and have criticized the tax cut provisions for not going far enough.
"The underlying bill, while it has some good provisions, has a lot of wasteful provisions and slow-moving spending in it," said House ***Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. "We have to act -- we have to heal the ailing economy. The question is how to do it best; we think that fast-acting tax relief is the way to get it done."
The House voted down a Republican amendment, which would have cut a significant portion of the bill's spending and greatly expanded the amount of tax cuts in the bill.
Obama spent much of his first week as president rallying support for the bill. After meeting with congressional leadership of both parties on Friday, he met with Republican congressional leaders on Tuesday and a dozen CEOs on Wednesday.
Obama and House Democrats etched out plans for a stimulus package in the weeks leading up to the president's inauguration. Two House committees amended and added some provisions, resulting in $607 billion in direct pending and appropriations and $212 billion in tax cuts.
The fact that 11 Democrats voted against the House package is significant, said Dan Clifton, the head of policy research at Strategas Research Partners. "First, it gives Republicans cover," Clifton said. "And it gives extreme leverage to the Senate."
Next week, the full Senate will vote on its version, which differs in some significant ways from the House bill. The two chambers will then need to reconcile their differences before each vote on the final version. To pass the package in the Senate, Democrats will need 60 votes -- meaning at least two Republicans.
Senate passage is expected, Clifton said. "But it's a question of whether you get 60 votes or 80 votes."
Congress has put the legislation on a fast track, as many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree that swift action is needed to help pull the economy out of a deep recession. Both Democratic and Republican leaders have said they aim to get the bill to Obama's desk for him to sign before lawmakers' Presidents Day recess in mid-February.
2009.01.29 Web posted at: 09:48 JST Updated - CNN
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