原文網址：http://kuso.cc/3OYY
France and Afghanistan
To stay or not to stay
Aug 28th 2008 | PARIS
From The Economist print edition
The debate over whether to keep French troops in Afghanistan heats up
THE era of easy foreign missions is over,” declared France’s
senior general, Jean-Louis Georgelin. “We are witnessing a
return of missions of war.” To British or American ears,
grimly accustomed by now to the return of body bags from faraway
places, the general’s remarks were commonplace. But the French
are still reeling from the loss of ten soldiers in an ambush
in Afghanistan on August 18th, their worst death toll in a
single attack since the bombing of a French barracks in Beirut
a quarter-century ago. President Nicolas Sarkozy has now
brought forward a parliamentary vote on whether to keep
extra French troops in Afghanistan to an extraordinary session
to be held on September 22nd.
「簡單外交任務的時代已經結束了。」法國的資深將領Jean-Louis
Georgelin如是說。「戰爭任務正重新成為主角。」對英國人和美國
人來說，這位法國將領的話並無新意，因為遙遠異鄉回來的屍袋英
美兩國人已經看得太多了。但是法國人還沒從8月18日，10名法軍士
兵在阿富汗遭伏擊喪生的衝擊中恢復過來。這次伏擊是自25年前法
國軍營在貝魯特遭轟炸以來，單一攻擊事件死亡人數最多的一次。
法國總統薩科奇將於9月22日的特別議會中提出國會表決，決定是否
要讓額外的法國駐軍繼續留在阿富汗。
Under France’s new constitutional rules, Mr Sarkozy must
secure parliamentary backing for any French military operation
abroad that lasts for more than four months. He recently sent
an additional battalion of 700 soldiers to join the existing
ones in the NATO force in Afghanistan, and their continued
presence will need parliamentary approval. The reason Mr Sarkozy
has chosen to bring forward the vote is a sudden political
chorus of concern about the risks and merits of putting more
French lives at risk.
根據法國新的憲法規定，薩科奇總統必須要確保法國所有在海外超
過4個月的軍事行動有國會的支持。薩科奇最近派出一營700名的士
兵加入北約於阿富汗的駐軍，這批士兵要持續留在阿富汗的話，必
須得到國會的認可。薩科奇之所以突然要舉行國會表決的原因是：
政壇上突然冒出許多聲音，擔憂派出更多法軍的利弊和這些士兵的
安危。
Politicians from all sides are well aware of the fact that
sending more French soldiers to Afghanistan was unpopular.
In April, when Mr Sarkozy decided to do it, 68% of respondents
told BVA, a polling group, that they were against the idea.
The Socialists even called (and lost) a vote of no confidence
to protest at a “strategic alignment” with America. Now,
after the recent deaths, fully 55% of respondents have told
CSA, another pollster, that they favour a withdrawal of all
French troops.
所有政治人物都知道對阿富汗增兵是不受歡迎的一項決策。四月時，
薩科奇總統做出增兵的決定。當時，民調機構BVA的調查顯示，68％
的受訪者反對這項決策。社會黨發起不信任投票，抗議這項與美國
的「策略配合」，但是最後表決輸了。法軍受伏擊身亡的事件發生
後，另一個民調機構CSA作了調查，55％的受訪者表示他們希望所
有法軍撤離。
Yet Mr Sarkozy is highly unlikely to lose the vote next month.
Despite concern in many quarters, most of his party, which
has a solid majority, will back him. Perhaps the most vocal
advocate of a pull-out is Olivier Besancenot, a minority figure
on the far left. The Socialist Party is tied in knots by an
internal leadership battle and also, as usual, split. Its
former leader, Lionel Jospin, backed French participation
in the NATO force in Afghanistan after the September 11th
2001 terrorist attacks. Even now, despite siren voices urging
it on, the party is not calling for a withdrawal. It is
critical, rather, of what many see as slavish obedience to
an American-led mission over which it has little influence,
and of the “military impasse” there. “France has to make
its particular voice heard,” pleaded Pierre Moscovici, the
Socialists’ foreign-affairs spokesman, this week, “which
is not that of the United States.”
但是薩科奇下個月不太可能輸掉表決。雖然有許多人擔憂，但是薩
科奇的政黨有穩固的多數優勢，他們會支持薩科奇。倡議撤軍喊最
大聲的是極左少數黨的Olivier Besancenot。社會黨因為內部的領
導權之爭而自縛手腳，而且一如往常，黨內意見紛歧。社會黨前黨
魁Lionel Jospin在911事件發生後支持法國派軍加入北約在阿富汗
的兵力。即便現在有人跳出來呼籲，社會黨還是沒有提議撤軍。許
多人將薩科奇的作為視作卑躬屈膝追隨美國主導的軍事任務，而且
法國在其中沒什麼影響力，阿富汗的狀況又陷入軍事僵局。社會黨
對這些面向倒是批評甚力。社會黨的外交事務發言人Pierre
Moscovici這禮拜指出：「法國必須要表明自己的意見和主張，而不
是跟著美國。」
Mr Sarkozy has two specific challenges if he is to stop the
public’s spirits sagging even further over Afghanistan. The
first is to answer questions about military preparedness.
Many of the soldiers killed, almost all aged between 18 and
22, had recently signed up and only just arrived in Afghanistan.
The French commander on the ground, Michel Stollsteiner,
conceded to reporters that the unit surprised by the ambush
suffered from “over-confidence”. In a parliamentary hearing
this week in Paris, Herve Morin, the defence minister, said
he was considering sending drones to bolster intelligence there.
如要防止社會大眾對阿富汗戰事的士氣繼續低落，薩科奇必須面對
兩個挑戰。第一是要講清楚說明白：軍隊是否有充足準備？很多喪
命的士兵都是最近才入伍，也才剛到阿富汗，其中大部分年紀都在
18到22歲之間。法軍的前線指揮官Michel Stollsteiner 對記者承
認說，受到伏擊的部隊「太過自信而掉以輕心」。這禮拜在巴黎舉
行的國會聽證會上，國防部長Herve Morin表示他考慮要派遣無人
飛機以提升情搜能力。
The second, broader task will be to persuade the French of
the general interest in participating in the NATO operation,
despite the risk to soldiers’ lives. The media have reported
relatively little about NATO’s trials in Afghanistan, and
the public seems surprised to learn how perilous the situation
there has become. There was debate in Paris this week about
whether to call the French engagement a “peacekeeping”
mission—or simply “war”.
第二個面向更廣的任務是要說服法國人民，雖然有士兵安危的疑慮
，但是參加北約行動是具有整體利益的。媒體對於北約在阿富汗的
困境報導相對較少，因此一般大眾在獲知當地情勢的危險後似乎都
很驚訝。這禮拜在巴黎出現了論辯，討論到底該稱法軍的戰鬥行動
是「維和任務」或是「戰爭」？
In his speech to the diplomatic corps on August 27th, Mr
Sarkozy dwelt on the need for France to stay to fight a “
just cause” and help to protect itself from global terror
threats. He argues that France can maintain credibility as
a world actor only if it pulls its weight. He made clear in
his lightning visits to Kabul and to the base in southern
France that lost many of the soldiers that he is committed
to keeping French troops in Afghanistan, and that it was
right to boost their numbers. “If I had to do it again,”
he concluded, “I would”.
薩科奇總統於8月27日對外交使節團發表演講，他詳細解釋說，法
軍有必要留在阿富汗為「正義而戰」，並且保護法國免受全球恐怖
主義的威脅。薩科奇說，法國必須要奉獻心力，才能保有自己身為
世界一份子的信譽。薩科奇閃電出訪喀布爾和法國南部的軍事基地
，這座基地失去了不少士兵。薩科奇明確表示他堅持法軍必須持續
留在阿富汗，增兵也是正確的決定。他說：「如果要我再作一次決
策，我還是會這樣做。」
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