8.31伊总理亲信接掌与美谈判团队.doc

Agreement on U.S. withdrawal from Iraq said to be in peril as Maliki ousts negotiators伊总理亲信接掌与美谈判团队1At the "make-or-break" stage of talks with the U.S. on the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has swept aside his negotiating team and replaced it with three of his closest aides, a reshuffle that some Iraqi officials warn risks sabotaging the agreement.1马利基总理在美伊谈判的关键时刻更换其谈判团队，代之以三名他自己的亲密顾问。一些伊拉克官员说，这种人员变动可能会危及撤军协议。2The decision on the team negotiating the pact, which the Americans have described as the basis of a long-term strategic alliance between the United States and Iraq, remains so sensitive that it has not been announced. In disclosing the switch this weekend, a senior Iraqi official close to Maliki also suggested that the two sides remained deadlocked on key issues.2由于换人事件太敏感，因此消息还未宣布。美国方面称，通过谈判就撤军问题达到协议是美伊之间建立长期战略联盟的基础。一位与马利关系密切的伊拉克高级官员周末透露了消息。他还说，美伊双方在一些关键问题上仍处于僵局。3The shake-up comes just four months before the expiration of the United Nations mandate that authorizes the U.S. troop presence in Iraq. When Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the country recently, expectations rose that an agreement was imminent. But Iraq and the United States remain far apart on the matter of immunity for U.S. forces in Iraqi courts, the official said.3四个月后，联合国对美国驻军伊拉克的军事授权将局满。就是在这种情况下，马利基更换了谈判团队。美国国务卿康多莉扎赖斯最近访问伊拉克时，人们都抱着很高的期望，以为美伊即将达成协议。但是，这位官员说，在驻伊美军豁免权的问题上，美伊双方仍存在严重分歧。美国方面希望保护其士兵免受伊拉克法庭审判。4The official insisted that if U.S. troops remained exempt from Iraqi rule of law, the pact would never get passed by the lawmakers.4这位官员坚称，如果美国方面坚持其士兵必须免受伊拉克法庭审判，那么，伊拉克议会永远不会通过这一协议。5The sides also are still negotiating a withdrawal date, the official said.5这位官员说，美伊双方还在就美国撤军日期问题进行谈判。6Maliki's confidant defended the shake-up, saying the prime minister needs those closest to him to lead the talks because they have the authority to make decisions that the original team did not possess.6马利基的密友为其换人辩护，称总理需要由他的最亲密顾问来主管谈判，因为他们有权做决定，而之前的谈判代表团没有。7Iraqi and Western officials monitoring the talks have said Maliki is afraid of accepting terms that could brand him as an American puppet. 7一些跟踪美伊谈判的伊拉克和西方官员说过，马利基害怕接受一些可能给他加上美国傀儡臭名的条款。