美國將暫停對巴基斯坦的安全援助

The US is suspending security assistance to Pakistan in a move that confirms the Trump administration’s harder line towards what it views as one of its most uneven allies.

美國將暫停對巴基斯坦的安全援助。此舉證實，特朗普政府對這個被它認爲是關係最不對等的盟友之一的國家採取了更強硬立場。

Washington has relied on Pakistan to pursue a host of Islamist militants at home and in neighbouring Afghanistan in past years, but has struggled to maintain trust with the country, where al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden lived until he was killed in an unannounced US raid in 2011.

過去許多年，華盛頓方面一直依靠巴基斯坦追捕位於其境內和鄰國阿富汗的伊斯蘭主義武裝分子，但未能一直維持對巴基斯坦的信任。基地組織(al-Qaeda)領導人奧薩馬?本?拉登(Osama bin Laden)曾居住在巴基斯坦，直至死於美國於2011年發起的一次突然襲擊。

The move was announced by the state department on Thursday.

美國國務院週四宣佈了上述決定。

Thursday’s announcement is likely to jolt and irritate Pakistan’s powerful army, which many people see as the controlling political influence in the country, along with the intelligence agency. Pakistan has regularly denied giving safe haven to groups such as the Taliban and the affiliated Haqqani network, which is blamed for attacks on western and Afghan forces.

這一消息可能會震動並激怒巴基斯坦實力強大的軍方，以及該國情報機構。許多人把軍方視爲巴基斯坦國內的主導性政治力量。巴基斯坦經常否認它爲塔利班及其下屬的哈卡尼網絡(Haqqani network)提供避難所。哈卡尼網絡被認爲對西方和阿富汗的軍隊發動了攻擊。

The US also placed Pakistan on a “Special Watch List” on Thursday, a designation that carries no penalty but expresses concern that Pakistan fails to safeguard the rights of religious minorities.

週四，美國還把巴基斯坦拉入一份“特別觀察名單”，這不會導致任何懲罰，但表達了對於巴基斯坦未能保護宗教少數派權利的擔憂。

Heather Nauert, state department spokeswoman, said the suspension in assistance came in addition to the $255m that has already been frozen.

美國國務院女發言人希瑟?諾爾特(Heather Nauert)表示，除了已被凍結的2.55億美元援助，這次美國還暫停了安全援助。

She said the decision was taken despite a “sustained high-level engagement” by the Trump administration with the government of Pakistan, but that exemptions to the new policy — which prevents delivery of military equipment or transfer of security-related funds to Pakistan — may be made on a case-by-case basis.

她表示，儘管特朗普政府與巴基斯坦政府“維持了高層接觸”，仍做出了上述決定，但是，這一阻止對巴基斯坦交付軍事裝備或轉賬安全相關資金的新政策，也許會有根據一事一議原則做出例外處理的情況。