美国两届总统反恐战争换汤不换药

2014-10-10 15:34:47来源：可可英语

　　The task of conjuring a legitimate Iraqi government looks like child’s play against that ofbuilding up a friendly Syrian army. Mr Obama has asked Congress for money to train 3,000Syrian rebels – a goal that will take months to bear fruit. Isis now commands at least 20,000fighters. Then there are America’s reluctant allies. Turkey does not want to help in any seriousway. Saudi Arabia’s support is lukewarm. Israel is sceptical. Iran, whose partnership MrObama has not sought, is waiting for whatever windfalls drop in its lap. The same applies toBashar al-Assad, Syria’s president.

　　与打造出一支友好的叙利亚军队相比，攒出一个合法的伊拉克政府简直是小事一桩。奥巴马已要求美国国会拨款培训3000名叙利亚叛军，这一目标要好几个月才能见效。而ISIS如今麾下至少有2万名战士。此外，美国还要面对不太情愿的盟友。土耳其并不想认真帮忙。沙特阿拉伯的支持也不冷不热。以色列则持怀疑态度。至于奥巴马未寻求建立合作关系的伊朗，则正等着从中收获意外的好处。叙利亚总统巴沙尔•阿萨德(Bashar al-Assad)也抱有同样的想法。

　　Whose army – if not America’s – will chase Isis to the “gates of hell”? Which takes us back towhere we started. Mr Obama wants to destroy an entity he says does not yet pose a directthreat to the US. Mr Bush called that pre-emptive war. Mr Obama’s administration calls it acounterinsurgency campaign. Is it a distinction without a difference?

　　如果将ISIS追到“地狱之门”的不是美国的军队，还有哪国军队会这么做?这个问题把我们带回到了起点。奥巴马想摧毁一个按他所说尚未直接威胁到美国的实体。小布什曾将之称为先发制人的战争。奥巴马政府则称之为平叛战役。这难道不是一种没有差别的“区别”吗?

　　The US president’s aim is to stop Isis before it becomes a threat to the homeland. Historysuggests the bigger risk is the severe downside of another Middle Eastern adventure.

　　这位美国总统的目标，是在ISIS对美国本土构成威胁前阻止它。历史经验表明，更大的风险在于，又一次中东冒险所蕴含的严重不利因素。

　　It is hard to doubt Mr Obama’s sincerity. It is his capacity to wade through the fog of war thatis in question.

　　奥巴马的诚意不容置疑。有疑问的是他是否具备努力走出战争迷雾的能力。

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