Ｇ８とシリア 依然見つからない内戦の出口

The Yomiuri Shimbun June 20, 2013
No end in sight for Syrian civil war, as arms support grows on both sides
Ｇ８とシリア　依然見つからない内戦の出口（6月19日付・読売社説）

How can the Syrian civil war be brought to an end? Leaders of the Group of Eight major powers should do their utmost to put an agreement on this issue reached in their latest meeting into practice.
　シリアの内戦をいかに終結させるか。各国首脳は、今回の合意実現へ、最大限努力すべきだ。

Regarding the Syrian situation, a focus of attention at the two-day G-8 summit meeting in Northern Ireland, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other leaders agreed to seek an international conference as early as possible to end the bloodshed in the Middle East country.
　英国・北アイルランドで開かれた主要８か国首脳会議（Ｇ８サミット）で、安倍首相ら参加国首脳は、焦点のシリア情勢について、流血の惨事を終わらせるため国際会議の早期開催を目指すことで合意した。

The agreement came after U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in a separate meeting to hold such a conference.
　オバマ米大統領とプーチン露大統領が個別に会談し、一致したことを踏まえたものだ。

Although Obama and Putin reiterated their shared recognition that an international conference is important for dealing with the Syria situation, their views on the matter still differ widely.
　国際会議が重要だという認識を改めて共有したとは言え、米露首脳の見解の差は依然、大きい。

A quagmire of violence

During the summit meeting, Obama and Putin were unable to resolve their differences. While Obama considers the creation of a transitional government in Syria without Syrian President Bashar Assad as a goal of the envisaged international conference, Putin opposes any move to remove Assad from power.
　米露首脳会談では、「アサド大統領抜き」の「シリア移行政府」作りを会議の目的とするオバマ氏と、アサド氏排除に反対するプーチン氏の対立は解けなかった。

The Syrian civil war has turned into a quagmire, with the violence becoming increasingly severe. The death toll has topped 90,000 in the about two years since demonstrations calling for Assad's resignation started. The situation is serious.
　内戦は泥沼化し、厳しさを増している。アサド退陣を求めるデモの発生から２年余りで死者数は９万人を超した。深刻な事態だ。

The international community is divided into pro-Assad and anti-Assad groups.
　国際社会はアサド政権の擁護派と反対派に割れている。

The European Union, which has criticized the suppression of human rights by the Assad administration, lifted a ban on arms exports to Syria, paving the way for supplying weapons to Syrian rebels.
　アサド政権の人権弾圧を批判する欧州連合（ＥＵ）は、シリアへの武器禁輸を解除し、反体制派への武器供与に道を開いた。

The United States, meanwhile, has decided to provide military assistance to the Syrian rebels, after saying it had evidence that the Assad administration had used chemical weapons. It is widely believed that Washington will soon provide Syrian rebels with ammunition and other military supplies.
　米国も、「アサド政権が化学兵器を使用したことを確認した」として、反体制派への軍事支援を決めた。近く弾薬などの供与に踏み切るのでは、と見られる。

In contrast, Russia, which backs the Syrian government, argued that the United States’ assertion is groundless and plans to support the Assad administration by offering surface-to-air missiles.
　これに対して、シリア政府の後ろ盾となってきたロシアは、米側の主張には根拠がないと反発し、地対空ミサイルの供与でアサド政権を支える方針だ。

Lebanon’s Hizbollah militia, which is supported by Iran, has recently joined the Syrian government forces. There is no sign of the war subsiding.
　政府軍には最近、レバノンに拠点を置きイランの支援を受ける武装組織ヒズボラも加勢した。戦火が収まる気配は見えない。

It is necessary to get facts about the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Assad government, which is one reason for the mutual distrust between Washington and Moscow.
　米露の相互不信の一因になっている化学兵器問題では、事実関係を検証する必要がある。

Peace talks needed

Unless peace talks get on track, the Syrian civil war may drag on and there also is concern that it could destabilize surrounding countries.
　和平協議が軌道に乗らねば、内戦は長期化して、周辺諸国まで不安定化する事態が懸念される。

Taking advantage of the ongoing civil war, Islamic militants linked to Al-Qaida, an international terrorist network, have expanded their influence. Is there not a risk that some of the large amount of arms to be distributed could land in the hands of terrorist groups?
　国際テロ組織アル・カーイダとつながるイスラム過激派も、内戦に乗じて勢力を拡大している。大量に出回る武器が、テロ組織に拡散する恐れはないのか。

Meanwhile, the number of Syrian refugees who fled to Jordan and other neighboring countries has exceeded 1.5 million. Taking in these refugees is a heavy burden for those countries.
　一方、ヨルダンなど周辺諸国に逃れた難民は、１５０万人を超えた。受け入れ国の負担は重い。

During the G-8 summit meeting, Abe announced the government will offer $10 million in emergency grant aid to assist evacuees in Syria and refugees, as well as provide yen loans worth $120 million to Jordan.
　安倍首相はＧ８サミットで、国内避難民や難民を支援する１０００万ドルの緊急無償資金協力や、ヨルダンに対する１億２０００万ドル相当の円借款供与を表明した。

It is necessary to seek a political solution for ending the Syrian civil war, and G-8 countries must provide as much humanitarian assistance as possible.
　政治的な解決を図るとともに、各国が可能な限りの人道支援を進めることも必要だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 19, 2013)
（2013年6月19日02時11分  読売新聞）