US Lawmakers Assess Iraq Violence
美國參議員評論伊拉克暴力活動

　 
On a day of new insurgent attacks in Iraq, with at least 40 people killed, members of the U.S. Senate spoke out on the war on American television. They offered differing assessments of the situation on the ground.

在伊拉克，激進分子發動的新一輪襲擊在一天內造成至少40人死亡。美國參議院的成員們在美國的電視節目中就伊拉克戰爭發表他們的觀點。他們對伊拉克的地面局勢做出了不同的評估。

News of more bloodshed in northern Iraq and Baghdad reached the United States as key Senators appeared on the television interview programs that fill the American airwaves on Sunday morning.

有關伊拉克北部和巴格達發生更多暴力活動的消息傳到美國，與此同時，美國的主要參議員們出現在星期天早上的美國電視訪談節目中。

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, just back from a congressional fact-finding mission, said he saw signs of progress in Iraq.

剛剛從國會“真相調查”任務中回來的南卡羅來納州共和黨參議員格雷厄姆說，他在伊拉克看到了進展的跡象。

Graham told the CBS broadcast Face the Nation that the war in Iraq "has turned a corner."

格雷厄姆在美國哥倫比亞廣播公司的《面向全國》電視節目中說，伊拉克戰爭“已經開始好轉”。

"Sectarian violence is down by 90 percent," he said. "Our casualties are way down. We have a long way to go, but I believe the surge has worked on all fronts."

格雷厄姆說：“教派間的暴力活動減少了90%。傷亡人數大為減少。我們還有很長的路要走，不過我相信，增兵計劃在各方面都發揮了作用。”

Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was part of a delegation that included Senator John McCain of Arizona, the likely Republican Party presidential nominee.

格雷厄姆是參議院軍事委員會的成員。他是訪問伊拉克的一個代表團的成員，已經穩獲共和黨總統候選人提名的亞利桑那州參議員麥凱恩也是這個代表團的成員。

Another member of the Armed Services panel - Senator Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island - returned from a recent tour of Iraq with a different assessment.

參議院軍事委員會小組的另外一個成員、羅德島民主黨參議員里德，最近也從伊拉克訪問回來，不過他帶回了不同的評估意見。

Reed also appeared on Face the Nation.

里德也參加了電視節目《面向全國》。

"Well, the problem with Iraq is that every time you turn the corner, there is another corner," he said.

他說：“伊拉克的問題是，每當局勢出現好轉，另一個危險又出現了。”

He said political progress has been slow, arguing that the central government is not functioning effectively. Reed said the Iraqis are not feeling enough pressure to make the tough political decisions that are desperately needed.

里德說，伊拉克的政治進程緩慢，伊拉克中央政府沒有進行有效的運作。他說，伊拉克人沒有感到讓他們做出艱難的政治決策的充分壓力，而這些政治決策是伊拉克迫切需要的。”

"And one of the reasons is I think they feel they have as much time as they need because our forces are there," Reed said.

他說，“我認為，原因之一是他們感覺自己有充足的時間，因為我們的軍隊駐守在那里。”

Reed said the United States needs a thorough, thoughtful and deliberate path out of Iraq.

里德說，美國需要采取一種全面仔細且深思熟慮的途徑撤出伊拉克。

A short time later, Iraq's national security advisor warned against a rush to pull out troops. Nawaffak al-Rubaie told CNN's Late Edition that withdrawals must be based on conditions on the ground.

"It depends on the development and the growth and the equipment and capabilities of the Iraqi security forces, and the preparedness of the Iraqi security forces," he said.

In a few weeks, the two top Americans in Iraq will travel to Washington to deliver their recommendations on troop levels. General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker will report directly to Congress in public session, and will confer with President Bush in private.

美國駐伊拉克的兩名高級官員將于幾星期后抵達華盛頓，傳達他們有關駐伊拉克軍隊數量的建議。彼得雷烏斯將軍和克羅克大使將直接向國會報告情況，他們還將私下與布什總統商討。