2024年6月6日 星期四

War in Gaza Strip Turns Spotlight on Long Pipeline of U.S. Weapons to Israel 加薩戰爭讓世人注意到美長期軍援以色列


★ 無法正常瀏覽內容,請按這裡線上閱讀
新聞  健康  udn部落格  
讀紐時學英文
2024/06/07 第488期 訂閱/退訂看歷史報份
 
 
紐時周報精選 War in Gaza Strip Turns Spotlight on Long Pipeline of U.S. Weapons to Israel 加薩戰爭讓世人注意到美長期軍援以色列
Fighting in the Forest Beside'My True Family' 外籍兵團對烏克蘭有「家」的感覺
紐時周報精選
 
War in Gaza Strip Turns Spotlight on Long Pipeline of U.S. Weapons to Israel 加薩戰爭讓世人注意到美長期軍援以色列
文/Michael Crowley and Edward W
譯/羅方妤

加薩戰爭讓世人注意到美長期軍援以色列

In the fall of 2016, the Obama administration sealed a major military agreement with Israel that committed the United States to giving the country $38 billion in arms over 10 years.

在2016年秋季,美國歐巴馬政府和以色列達成一項重大軍事協定,承諾美國在10年內提供以色列價值380億美元武器。

"The continued supply of the world's most advanced weapons technology will ensure that Israel has the ability to defend itself from all manner of threats," President Barack Obama said.

歐巴馬當時表示:「持續供應世界最精良的武器科技,將確保以國有能力抵禦各種威脅。」

At the time, the agreement was uncontroversial. It was a period of relative calm for Israel, and few officials in Washington expressed concern about how the U.S. arms might one day be used.

當時,這份協議沒有爭議。對以國而言,這段時期相對平靜,很少有華府官員對這些美製武器有朝一日會如何使用表達憂心。

Now, that military aid package, which guarantees Israel $3.3 billion per year to buy weapons, along with an additional $500 million annually for missile defense, has become a flashpoint for the Biden administration. A vocal minority of lawmakers in Congress backed by liberal activists are demanding that President Joe Biden restrict or even halt arms shipments to Israel because of its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

這套軍援計畫每年保證援助以國33億美元購買武器,並額外提供500萬美元用於飛彈防禦,如今已成為拜登政府的引爆點。由於以國在加薩走廊進行的軍事行動,自由派維權人士支持的少數國會議員,要求拜登限制甚或停止向以國運送武器。

Biden has been sharply critical of what he on one occasion called "indiscriminate bombing" in Israel's war campaign, but he has resisted placing limits on U.S. military aid.

拜登一直嚴厲批評以國的戰爭行動,還一度稱之為「恣意轟炸」,但拒絕對美國軍援設限。

The United States and Israel have had tight military relations for decades, stretching across multiple Democratic and Republican administrations. Israel has purchased much of its critical equipment from the United States, including fighter jets, helicopters, air defense missiles, and both unguided and guided bombs, which have been dropped in Gaza. Legislation mandates that the U.S. government help Israel maintain force superiority — or its "qualitative military edge" — over other Middle Eastern nations.

美國歷屆民主黨和共和黨政府,數十年來一直與以國保持密切軍事關係。以國向美國採購許多重要裝備,包括戰機、直升機和防空飛彈,以及在加薩投下的非導引和導引炸彈。法律強制要求美國政府幫助以國保持相對於其他中東國家的武力優勢,或者「軍事品質優勢」。

The process of arms delivery to Israel is opaque, and the pipeline for weapons to the country is long. The United States has sent tens of thousands of weapons to the country since the Oct. 7 killings by Hamas attackers, but many were approved by Congress and the State Department long ago and funded with money mandated by the Obama-era agreement.

向以國運送武器的過程不透明,且路線很長。去年10月7日「哈瑪斯」襲擊者進行殺戮以來,美國向以國運送數以萬計武器,其中許多是美國國會和國務院很久以前就批准,並以歐巴馬時代協議規定的資金資助。

Biden has the power to limit any foreign arms deliveries, even ones previously approved by Congress. Far from cutting off Israel, however, he is pushing a request he made shortly after the Oct. 7 attacks for $14 billion in additional arms aid to the country and U.S. military operations in the Middle East. The money has been stalled in Congress amid disputes over Ukraine aid and U.S. border security and faces growing Democratic concern.

拜登有權力限制任何對外武器交付,即使先前已獲國會批准。然而,拜登非但沒有斷供以國武器,還正推動他在10月7日襲擊後不久就提出的要求,額外提供140億美元武器援助給以色列以及美國在中東地區的軍事行動。由於關於援助烏克蘭和美國邊境安全相關爭論,且面臨民主黨人日益增加的擔憂,這筆資金一直在國會被擱置。

 
Fighting in the Forest Beside'My True Family' 外籍兵團對烏克蘭有「家」的感覺
文/Tyler Hicks
譯/羅方妤

外籍兵團對烏克蘭有「家」的感覺

The bullet-scarred pickups raced the sunrise along a rough dirt road wending through a dense pine forest. Multiple languages were spoken by the men inside them — Ukrainian, Brazilian, Colombian, Polish — but few words. It was not a moment for small talk.

彈痕累累的皮卡車在日出時分沿著塵土飛揚的崎嶇道路,穿越茂密的針葉林。車裡的人說著多種語言,其中有烏克蘭人、巴西人、哥倫比亞人和波蘭人。但他們很少說話,因為這不是閒聊的時機。

They had come to fight Russians.

他們是來與俄羅斯人作戰的。

The trucks barely came to a halt to discharge their passengers before speeding off again. Armed drones might appear overhead at any moment, and so as the men continued on foot, they, too, did so with urgency.

卡車勉強停下來讓乘客們下車,又立刻加速行駛。武裝無人機隨時可能出現在他們的頭頂,因此這些人繼續以步行前進時,他們也很急促。

The soldiers of the International Legion had arrived.

國際兵團的軍人到了。

The path of the soldiers, among thousands of foreign fighters who signed up to help Ukraine after Russia invaded, told a story of war.

俄國入侵後,數以千計外籍戰士報名協助烏克蘭,他們的路途訴說戰爭的故事。

The Serebrianka Forest in eastern Ukrainian was badly scarred from months of fighting. Many of the trees and plants that sustained them had been toppled and burned by artillery, mortars and tank fire.

烏東塞雷布良卡森林因數月的戰鬥傷痕累累。許多樹木和支撐它們的植物被大砲、迫擊砲和戰車火力打倒和燒毀。

As the men walked, they saw bomb craters, some old, others so fresh that a green confetti of shredded leaves lay underfoot. They passed a makeshift cross, two sticks crudely bound together, marking where a Ukrainian soldier had stepped on a mine.

隨著一行人持續行走,他們看到炸彈坑;有些是舊的,有些非常新,可以看到腳下鋪滿像是綠色五彩碎紙的樹葉碎屑。他們經過一個臨時搭建的十字架,兩根棍子簡陋的綁在一起,代表一名烏國軍人踩到地雷的地方。

Then they were there: the snow-dusted trench line that would be home for their rotation.

然後他們到達目的地:被白雪覆蓋的戰壕線,將是他們輪值期間的家。

Led by their Ukrainian commander, Tsygan, the International Legion soldiers answered with a barrage of their own, and the incoming and outgoing small-arms fire made for a confused, staccato orchestra.

在他們的烏克蘭指揮官齊甘帶領下,國際兵團軍人用他們的砲火回擊俄軍,來襲的和還擊的輕武器砲火形成一支混亂、斷斷續續的管弦樂團。

In many respects, the position had a feeling of timelessness.

在許多方面而言,這個狀況有種會永久持續下去的感覺。

A network of dugouts and log-covered bunkers was linked together by a crude labyrinth of hand-dug trenches, some strung with camouflage netting. Ahead was nothing but Russian soldiers.

防空網和木材覆蓋的掩體,由手工挖掘壕溝形成的簡陋迷宮連結,有些還掛著偽裝網。前方什麼都沒有,只有俄軍。

Snow, rain, wind and war crumble the trenches and bunkers that help keep soldiers alive in this war. In the lulls between fighting, the soldiers constantly fortify, repair and deepen them.

雪、雨、風和戰火,毀壞讓軍人在這場戰爭活下來的戰壕和掩體。在戰鬥間的平靜時刻,軍人不斷加強、修復並加深它們。

There are many reasons a foreigner might enlist to fight a war that has nothing to do with him.

讓一個外國人入伍參與一場和他無關的戰爭,有很多原因。

One, of course, is money. The open-ended contracts in Ukraine pay, on average, about $2,500 a month, a tempting sum for some of the men who came there from countries with few good economic opportunities for them.

原因之一當然是錢。烏克蘭的無期限合約,平均每月支付2500美元,對於一些來自良好經濟機會不多國家的男性而言,這是個誘人的數目。

Yes, the pay is appealing, soldier Konrad 13, but so was feeling a sense of purpose.

軍人康拉德13表示,薪酬的確有吸引力,但使命感也是。

It was over an hour before Tsygan cleared his men to venture into the open space separating them from the trenches and a moment of peace.

一個多小時後,齊甘讓自己的人馬冒險進入將他們與戰壕隔開的空地,享受片刻和平。

Before it was time to return to the fight.

在重返戰鬥的時刻到來之前。

 
本電子報著作權均屬「聯合線上公司」或授權「聯合線上公司」使用之合法權利人所有,
禁止未經授權轉載或節錄。若對電子報內容有任何疑問或要求轉載授權,請【
聯絡我們】。
  免費電子報 | 著作權聲明 | 隱私權聲明 | 聯絡我們

沒有留言:

張貼留言