By Raymond Whitaker and Robert Fox由雷蒙德惠特克和羅伯特福克斯

Senior military commanders have told the Government that Britain can achieve “nothing more” in south-east Iraq, and that the 5,500 British troops still deployed there should move towards withdrawal without further delay.高級軍事指揮官曾經向政府表示，英國可以實現"無非是"在東南伊拉克，並表示， 5500名英國士兵仍然部署在那裡應邁向撤回再拖延。

Last month Gordon Brown said after meeting George Bush at Camp David that the decision to hand over security in Basra province – the last of the four held by the British – “will be made on the military advice of our commanders on the ground”.上個月，英國財政大臣布朗說，會面後，布什在戴維營這一決定交出安全的巴士拉省-最後的四舉行，由英國文化協會- "將作出對軍事的意見，我們的指揮員在地面上" 。 He added: “Whatever happens, we will make a full statement to Parliament when it returns [in October].”他補充說： "無論發生什麼事情，我們會做一次完整的聲明中向國會時，它的回報[十月] " 。

Two generals told The Independent on Sunday last week that the military advice given to the Prime Minister was, “We’ve done what we can in the south [of Iraq]”.兩名將軍告訴獨立報週日上週說，軍方的意見，考慮到總理， "我們已經做了什麼，我們可以在南方[伊拉克] " 。 Commanders want to hand over Basra Palace – where 500 British troops are subjected to up to 60 rocket and mortar strikes a day, and resupply convoys have been described as “nightly suicide missions” – by the end of August.指揮員要移交巴士拉宮殿-在5 00個英軍士兵遭受多達6 0個火箭和迫擊砲襲擊，每天和再補給車隊被形容為"每晚自殺任務" -由八月底。 The withdrawal of 500 soldiers has already been announced by the Government.撤回500名士兵已被政府所宣布的。 The Army is drawing up plans to “reposture” the 5,000 that will be left at Basra airport, and aims to bring the bulk of them home in the next few months.陸軍正擬訂計劃，以" reposture " ， 5000表示將留在巴士拉機場，目的是使大部分的他們回家，在未來數個月。

Before the invasion in 2003, officers were told that the Army’s war aims were to bring stability and democracy to Iraq and to the Middle East as a whole.入侵之前，在2003年，軍官被告知說軍戰爭的目的是要實現穩定和民主的伊拉克和中東地區作為一個整體。 Those ambitions have been drastically revised, the IoS understands.這些野心已大幅修訂，內部監督辦公室了解到的。 The priorities now are an orderly withdrawal, with the reputation and capability of the Army “reasonably intact”, and for Britain to remain a “credible ally”.在現在的首要任務是一個有秩序的撤退，隨著信譽和能力的軍隊"合理完整" ，而英國仍是一個"可靠的盟友" 。 The final phrase appears to refer to tensions with the US, which has more troops in Iraq than at any other time, including the invasion, as it seeks to impose order in Baghdad and neighbouring provinces.最後一句話似乎指的緊張關係，與美國，它有軍隊在伊拉克，超過歷史上任何其他時間，包括入侵，因為它的目的是為了強加在巴格達和鄰近省份。

American criticism of Britain’s desire to pull back in southern Iraq has recently become public, with a US intelligence official telling The Washington Post this month that “the British have basically been defeated in the south”.美國的批評，英國的願望，撤退在伊拉克南部最近已成為市民歡迎，美國情報官員告訴華盛頓郵報本月表示， "英國政府已經基本打敗了，在南方" 。 A senior British commander countered, “That’s to miss the point.英國一位高級指揮官反擊， "這就是錯過了這一點。 It was never that kind of battle, in which we set out to defeat an enemy.” Other officers said the British force was never configured to “clear and hold” Basra in the way the Americans are seeking to do in Baghdad.這是從來沒有這樣的仗，我們在其中列出打敗敵人" ，其它官員說，英國部隊從未進行配置， "明確和持有" ，在巴士拉的方式，美國人正尋求在巴格達。

Immediate American discontent is said to centre on the CIA’s reluctance to leave Basra Palace, an important base for watching Iran, which may explain why Britain has held on to the complex until now.當前美國的不滿，據說中心中情局不願離開巴士拉宮殿，是一個重要的基地，觀看伊朗，這也許可以解釋為什麼英國舉行該國複雜的，直至現在。 But last week it was reported that US intelligence operatives were in the process of pulling out.但上星期據報導，美國情報人員正在著手退出。 Further ahead, the US is concerned over the security of its vital supply line from Kuwait, with some American commanders saying that if the British withdraw, American troops will have to be sent south to replace them.進一步推進中，美國關注的安全，其重要的補給線，從科威特，與一些美軍指揮官說，如果英國撤出，美軍將已被派到南方，以取代他們。 As the hub of Iraq’s oil industry, Basra is also a tempting prize for the Shia militias battling each other for control.作為交通樞紐伊拉克的石油工業，巴士拉也是一個誘人的獎金為什葉派民兵對抗對方控制。

There are fears that the bloody power struggle in Basra will escalate sharply if and when British troops depart, but commanders point out that up to 90 per cent of the violence is directed against their forces.有人擔心這血腥的權力鬥爭，在巴士拉活動將進一步升級，尖銳，如果當英國軍隊離開，但指揮官指出，有多達百分之九十的暴力事件是針對他們的勢力。 They are understood to believe it was never the role of occupation troops to intervene in a “turf war” among factions from the same community, all of which have links to the government coalition in Baghdad.他們的理解是相信這是從來沒有的角色，佔領部隊介入的"草皮戰"派系來自同一社區，所有這些都鏈接到政府聯盟在巴格達。

Mr Brown will have to take these wider concerns into account, in reaching a decision that has political as well as military implications.布朗先生將不得不考慮這些更廣泛的關注到，在達成一項決定，即有政治以及軍事的影響。 At Camp David he stressed that “we have duties to discharge and responsibilities to keep” in support of the Iraqi government and “the explicit will” of the international community.在戴維營他強調說： "我們有責任履行和責任，以保持"支持伊拉克政府和"明確將"國際社會。 The 15 September report on the progress of the security “surge” by the US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and the American ambassador to Baghdad, Ryan Crocker, will be crucial to British as well as US military plans. 9月15日的進度報告的安全"潮" ，由美軍指揮官在伊拉克，一般大衛彼得雷烏斯和美國駐巴格達大使瑞安克羅克，將是至關重要的，以英國以及美國的軍事計劃。

General Petraeus is expected to report mixed results, and to plead for more time for the surge to work.一般彼得雷烏斯預計報告好壞參半的結果，並呼籲更多的時間用於調壓工作。 But the White House, under pressure from Republicans facing disaster in the 2008 elections, is likely to announce at least some troop reductions.但白宮的壓力下，由共和黨所面臨的災難，在2008年的選舉，很可能會宣布，至少有一些部隊的裁減。 British commanders, and some US commentators, believe that will enable the Prime Minister to spell out plans for a British withdrawal when MPs return in October, although the process may last well into next year.英國指揮官，及一些美國評論家認為，這將使英國首相闡明計劃為英國撤出時，國會議員回到10月份，儘管這個過程可能會延續到明年。

Comment on 'Military commanders tell Brown to withdraw from Iraq without delay' : 評論』軍事指揮官告訴布朗退出伊拉克毫不遲延地' ：

RSS 的RSS TrackBack URL 跟踪 RUI

Related News: 相關新聞：