イラク戦争終結 米軍撤収後も山積する課題

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 17, 2011)
Piles of problems left in Iraq after withdrawal of U.S. forces
イラク戦争終結　米軍撤収後も山積する課題（12月16日付・読売社説）

Eight years and nine months after launching a war against Iraq, the United States is poised to finally bring its military operations in that country to a historic end.
　対イラク開戦から８年９か月。米国は、イラク戦争にようやく歴史的な区切りをつける。

U.S. President Barack Obama declared the end of the war at a ceremony held Wednesday at Fort Bragg, N.C., a U.S. Army installation, to welcome home soldiers who had been deployed to Iraq.
　オバマ米大統領が、ノースカロライナ州の陸軍基地での帰還兵歓迎式で「戦争の終結」を宣言した。

During his presidential election campaign, Obama criticized the administration of former President George W. Bush for committing the United States to the "wrong war" in Iraq. Obama pledged an early withdrawal from Iraq, and won the 2008 presidential election.
　大統領は、ブッシュ前政権が始めたイラク戦争を「間違った戦争」と批判し、２００８年大統領選で早期撤退を公約して当選した。

The last U.S. troops stationed in Iraq will finish leaving the country shortly, thus fulfilling the promise Obama made after he took office to completely withdraw from the Middle Eastern country by the end of 2011.
　間もなく駐留米軍の最後の部隊引き揚げが完了し、大統領就任後に確約した「１１年末までの撤収」が実現することになる。

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U.S. paid heavy price

However, the United States has paid a heavy price for the war.
　米国が払った代価はあまりにも大きい。

The Bush administration launched the war after claiming Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, which were never found.
The war also tarred the United States' national prestige, partly because of the chaos that erupted during its occupation of Iraq.
開戦理由とした大量破壊兵器は見つからず、占領統治の大混乱もあって国家の威信に傷がついた。

The country has racked up swelling fiscal deficits caused by massive military spending, and the war has claimed the lives of nearly 4,500 U.S. soldiers.
巨額の戦費で財政赤字は膨れあがり、４５００人近い米兵の命も失われた。

Nevertheless, Obama stressed the war had not been fought in vain. "We are leaving behind a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq...This is an extraordinary achievement nearly nine years in the making," he said in the speech at Fort Bragg.
　それでも大統領は演説で、「我々は、独立し、安定し、自立した国家をイラクに残した。多大な成果だ」と強調した。

The question now is whether these achievements can remain in place and be built on in Iraq without U.S. forces stationed there for backup. Piles of problems lie ahead.
　問題は、駐留米軍の後ろ盾なしに、イラクでこうした成果が定着し、発展していくかである。課題は山積している。

After the collapse of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's dictatorship in the war, the country at one time became mired in military conflict and terrorist attacks as confrontation raged between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. Although the United States finally calmed the situation by boosting its military presence in the country, it would be a stretch to say Iraq is now a nation totally at peace.
　戦争でサダム・フセイン大統領の独裁体制が崩壊した後、イスラム教シーア派とスンニ派の対立を背景に、一時は武力衝突やテロが泥沼化した。米国は兵力を増強してようやく沈静化させたが、完全に封じ込めたとは言えない。

Even today, many Iraqi citizens are being killed or wounded in terrorist attacks.
　多くの一般国民が今なおテロの犠牲になっている。

There are fears that the departure of U.S. troops could embolden terrorist organizations and lead to a deterioration of security in the country.
米軍撤退はテロ組織を勢いづかせ、治安の悪化を招く恐れがある。

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Region crucial for Japan

Iraq has been riven by continuing confrontation between religious and tribal groups. National reconciliation is an urgent task, but the power base of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is backed by Shiite Muslims, remains vulnerable.
　宗派間、民族間の対立が続いており、国民和解は急務である。シーア派勢力に支持されているマリキ首相の権力基盤は脆弱(ぜいじゃく)だ。

There also is the possibility that Iran, a major Shiite nation that shares a border with Iraq, might use the withdrawal of U.S. forces to step up its influence on Baghdad.
　米軍撤退につけこみ、隣国のシーア派大国イランが、イラクへの影響力を強める可能性もある。

If Iraq plunges into chaos again, it would have a significant impact on the whole region.
　イラク情勢が再び混迷すれば、地域全体に多大な影響が及ぶ。

The United States bears a heavy responsibility for the future of Iraq and the Middle East.
　イラクと中東の将来に対する米国の責任は重い。

Washington will have to not only cooperate with Baghdad in the security field, such as by training Iraqi military forces, but also press the country in the diplomatic arena so it becomes a responsible major country in the region.
米国は今後、イラク軍育成など安全保障分野での協力だけでなく、イラクが責任ある地域大国となるよう、外交面で働きかけていく必要がある。

In his meeting with Maliki in November, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda expressed his intention to extend yen loans totaling about 67 billion yen to Iraq for programs including a project to improve a refinery plant in the country.
　野田首相は１１月、マリキ首相との会談で、イラクの製油所改良計画などへ約６７０億円の円借款を供与する意向を明らかにした。

We believe such efforts will help develop bilateral ties.
両国関係の発展に資するだろう。

Iraq's stability is extremely important for Japan, which imports 90 percent of its crude oil from the Middle East.
　原油輸入の９割を中東に依存する日本にとって、イラクの安定は極めて重要だ。

In addition to providing reconstruction assistance through official development assistance programs and other channels, it is critical that Japan deepens its economic and business ties with Iraq.
　政府開発援助（ＯＤＡ）などによる復興支援とともに、経済やビジネス関係を深めていきたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 16, 2011)
（2011年12月16日01時22分 読売新聞）