美國必須加強與巴基斯坦合作

Over the July 4 weekend, I made my annual trip to Afghanistan to visit US troops and military commanders. I also travelled to Pakistan to meet civilian and military leaders and to discuss counterterrorism efforts in the region. Two things are clear from that visit.

7月4日前那個週末，我對阿富汗進行了年度訪問，看望了美國士兵和軍官。我也前往巴基斯坦，會見了政府和軍方領導人，並討論了地區反恐努力。訪問之後，我得出了兩條明顯結論。

First, the US mission in Afghanistan is the same today as it was in 2001: to disrupt and defeat terrorist networks that seek to attack its interests and homeland and to deny them safe haven. That mission remains urgent, and it is unfortunately not over yet.

第一，如今美國在阿富汗的使命跟2001年時的使命相同：破壞並擊敗旨在攻擊美國利益和本土的恐怖主義網絡，讓它們失去庇護所。這一使命仍然緊迫，而且遺憾地尚未完成。

Second, the US mission in Afghanistan is immeasurably more difficult without Pakistan’s co-operation in taking on terrorists that operate across the Afghan-Pakistani border at will. That is why enhanced co-operation between Afghanistan and Pakistan is essential. Likewise, the strategic imperative for improved relations between the US and Pakistan is clear — for the safety of American troops and the success of their mission in Afghanistan, for the stability of the region and for the national security of both Pakistan and the US.

第二，在打擊自由活動於阿富汗與巴基斯坦邊境的恐怖主義分子的過程中，若沒有巴基斯坦的合作，美國在阿富汗的使命實現起來要難得多。正因如此，阿富汗和巴基斯坦之間加強合作是非常關鍵的。同樣，在戰略上看，美國也必須改善與巴基斯坦之間的關係，這是爲了美國駐軍的安全及其阿富汗使命的成功，爲了地區的穩定，也爲了巴基斯坦和美國的國家安全。

But recently, the US-Pakistan relationship has been strained. Among other things, limitations on US assistance to Pakistan and congressional reluctance to approve subsidies for the sale of defence articles have added to tensions between the two governments.

但近期美國和巴基斯坦的關係出現緊張。美國對巴基斯坦提供援助受到限制，美國國會不願批准防務裝備銷售補貼，再加上其他一些事情，加劇了兩國政府之間的緊張關係。

Despite this and other recent difficulties, US and Pakistani leaders cannot allow ambivalence and suspicion to fester. Common interests in counterterrorism, nuclear security and regional stability are too important and too urgent.

儘管存在近期的種種困難，美國和巴基斯坦領導人不能坐視矛盾和懷疑心理滋生。兩國在反恐、核安全以及地區穩定方面的共同利益太重要、太緊迫。

For too long, the US has viewed the bilateral relationship only through the prism of Afghanistan. To achieve real progress, the US must make clear its enduring commitment to Pakistan’s stability and economic growth.

太長時間以來，美國一直只透過阿富汗這枚棱鏡來審視美國與巴基斯坦的關係。爲了實現雙邊關係的真正進步，美國必須明確對巴基斯坦穩定與經濟增長的長期承諾。

For its part, Pakistan must take on and eliminate havens for terrorist groups such as the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad that operate within its borders, attack its neighbours and kill US forces. Pakistani leaders, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the army chief of staff General Raheel Sharif, have made recent commitments to do just that. Following through on these is critical.

從巴基斯坦方面來看，該國必須打擊並清除恐怖主義組織的庇護所，這些恐怖主義組織包括在其境內活動、攻擊其鄰國並殺死美國軍人的阿富汗塔利班、哈卡尼網絡(Haqqani network)、虔誠軍(Lashkar-e-Taiba)以及穆罕默德軍(Jaish-e-Mohammad)。包括總理納瓦茲•謝里夫(Nawaz Sharif)和陸軍參謀長拉希勒•謝里夫上將(General Raheel Sharif)在內的巴基斯坦領導人不久前已經做出了這樣的承諾。後續落實承諾是至關重要的。

This will be difficult for Pakistan. It will require political will and entail costly sacrifice in blood and treasure. That is why there will be sceptics in the country opposed to decisive efforts to defeat extremism.

這對巴基斯坦而言並非易事。巴基斯坦將必須拿出政治意志，並做出鮮血和金錢方面的巨大犧牲。正因如此，巴基斯坦國內將有些懷疑人士反對採取果斷行動打垮極端主義勢力。

But Mr Sharif and Gen Sharif have heard such pleas for restraint before. There were those who said it would be too hard to take on the Pakistani Taliban after it attacked a school in Peshawar and killed more than 130 children in 2014. Fortunately, Mr Sharif and Gen Sharif recognised the threat that these militants posed to Pakistan and took action. Thanks to these efforts, the perpetrator of the Peshawar school attack is no longer a threat to Pakistan or any other country.

但謝里夫總理和謝里夫上將此前聽到過剋制行動的請求。有些人說，在巴基斯坦塔利班2014年襲擊白沙瓦(Peshawar)一所學校、殺死逾130名孩子之後，打擊他們太難了。幸運的是，謝里夫總理和謝里夫上將都意識到這些武裝分子對巴基斯坦構成的威脅，並採取了行動。多虧了這些努力，白沙瓦學校襲擊案的兇手現在對巴基斯坦和任何其他國家都不再構成威脅。

In 2014, Pakistan launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan, a tribal area along the Afghan-Pakistani border where militants had operated with impunity for decades. During my visit to Miram Shah in North Waziristan, I saw the city’s bazaar that once housed bomb-making factories, arms dealers and office fronts for terrorist groups.

2014年，巴基斯坦在北瓦濟里斯坦(North Waziristan)發動了“利劍行動”(Operation Zarb-e-Azb)。北瓦濟里斯坦是巴基斯坦-阿富汗邊境的一處部落區，武裝分子在那裏無法無天地活動了幾十年。我去訪問北瓦濟里斯坦的米拉木-薩赫(Miram Shah)時，看到了該市那個曾經聚集着炸彈工廠、軍火商和恐怖組織的辦公場所的集市。

Thanks to the actions of Pakistani soldiers, this death market is no more. Now the military is building roads, border posts, schools and healthcare facilities across North Waziristan, a recognition that the failure to focus on economic development in the tribal areas in previous decades was a profound mistake.

得益於巴基斯坦戰士們的行動，這一死亡市場已不復存在。如今，軍方正在北瓦濟里斯坦全境修建道路、邊防哨所、學校和醫療設施。他們承認，過去幾十年未能集中精力發展部落區的經濟，是一個重大錯誤。

This operation did not eliminate every haven nor did it catch every terrorist. And it will require years of follow-up to secure the gains it has achieved. But it has led to security improvements in the country. It shut down bomb-making factories and tunnel networks that menaced Afghanistan. And it displaced militants, many of whom fled into the crosshairs of US and Afghan forces ready and waiting on the other side of the border.

這一行動沒有根除所有的恐怖組織庇護所，也沒有抓住所有的恐怖分子。而且，還需要多年的後續行動才能鞏固已獲得的勝利。但是，該行動改善了巴基斯坦的國內安全狀況。它關閉了對阿富汗構成威脅的炸彈工廠和隧道網絡。而且，它趕走了武裝分子，其中許多人逃進了等候在邊境另一側的美國和阿富汗軍隊的瞄準範圍。

Pakistan has the opportunity to prove the sceptics wrong again by taking on terrorist groups that target Afghan, Indian and US forces in the region with the same energy with which it has prosecuted the fight against the Pakistani -Taliban. By taking on all terrorist groups operating in its territory, Pakistan will find that the US remains willing and able to assist in this fight and develop an enduring strategic partnership.

巴基斯坦可以拿出跟打擊巴基斯坦塔利班相仿的精力，對瞄準該地區的阿富汗、印度和美國軍隊的恐怖組織發起攻擊，這樣就有機會再次證明懷疑者是錯誤的。在打擊所有在本國境內活動的恐怖組織時，巴基斯坦將發現美國仍然願意並有能力協助戰鬥，並與巴基斯坦發展長久的戰略伙伴關係。

The sooner the US, Pakistan and Afghanistan get down to the business of fighting their common terrorist enemies together, no matter where they hide, the better off the nations, the region and the world will be.

美國、巴基斯坦和阿富汗越是儘快着手聯合打擊共同的恐怖主義敵人——無論他們隱藏在哪裏——這三個國家、該地區和全世界就將變得越美好。