イラク情勢緊迫 過激派の攻勢をどう抑えるか

The Yomiuri Shimbun
What can be done to stop offensive by extremist Sunni insurgents in Iraq?
イラク情勢緊迫　過激派の攻勢をどう抑えるか

The situation in Iraq has become ever more strained. Rebels led by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a Sunni extremist group advocating the creation of a new Islamic state, have seized several cities in northern Iraq.
　イラク情勢が緊迫の度を増している。
　「新たなイスラム国家建設」を掲げるスンニ派の過激派組織「イラク・シリアのイスラム国（ＩＳＩＳ）」が、イラク北部の複数の都市を制圧した。

The Iraqi administration of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki is fighting back with air strikes, while recruiting volunteer soldiers from among his Shiite supporters.
　マリキ政権は軍による空爆を行い、支持基盤のシーア派から義勇兵を募って応戦している。

This is indeed an alarming situation that increases the turmoil in the Middle East.
　中東の混乱に拍車をかける、憂慮すべき事態と言えよう。

The ISIS is an Al-Qaida-inspired armed group. Having expanded its influence by riding the tide of Syria’s civil war, the ISIS is said to have grown to about 5,000 fighters. Upon entering another theater of war in Iraq, the group even declared it would eliminate the border with Syria.
　ＩＳＩＳは、国際テロ組織アル・カーイダの流れをくむ武装集団だ。シリア内戦に乗じて勢力を拡大し、推定５０００人規模に膨れ上がった。イラクに転戦する際には、シリアとの国境の抹消までも宣言していた。

The United States has announced a $10 million reward for its leader, who is dubbed the second Osama bin Laden.
　指導者は「第２のビンラーディン」とも呼ばれており、米国が１０００万ドルの懸賞金をかけて国際指名手配した。

Imposing strict Islam in seized areas, ISIS militants have killed people for refusing to pledge allegiance to the ISIS. This is a horrific situation from a humanitarian viewpoint. The United Nations has rightly condemned the ISIS, saying the executions were carried out immediately without any legal process. As the turmoil has been spreading, oil prices have begun rising on the market.
　ＩＳＩＳは、制圧地域で厳格なイスラム法を適用し、従わない者を殺害している。人道上、極めて問題である。国連が「司法手続きを経ない即決の処刑だ」と非難したのはもっともだ。混乱拡大で、原油価格も上昇し始めた。

Maliki should also be held strictly responsible for having brought about the current situation. He has given preferential treatment to Shiites, who represent the majority of the Iraqi people, in the administration, while persistently driving out their Sunni political opponents.
　マリキ首相にもこうした事態を招いた重い責任がある。首相は、国民の多数を占めるシーア派を政権で優遇し、スンニ派の政敵追い落としに固執した。

Morale deteriorating

Even within the military forces and public security organizations, sectarian conflicts have surfaced, undermining the morale of personnel.
　軍や治安機関の内部でも宗派対立が顕在化し、士気は低下した。

In the areas attacked by the ISIS, officers and soldiers are said to have fled, discarding their uniforms and equipment. These are the prices Maliki is paying for failing to pursue national reconciliation.
ＩＳＩＳが攻め込んだ地域では、将兵らが制服や装備を投げ出して逃亡したという。
　国民融和を怠った首相の統治手法のツケが回った結果である。

It would be difficult for his administration alone to stem the ISIS offensive. For the time being, it is necessary for the international community to support and cooperate with the Maliki administration to avoid further turmoil.
　ＩＳＩＳの攻勢をマリキ政権が単独で食い止めるのは困難だろう。当面は、国際社会がマリキ政権を支え、連携して混乱の拡大を回避する必要がある。

Holding the key to such efforts is how the United States reacts to the situation. U.S. President Barack Obama said he would not rule out any options. Later he sent an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf, with possible air strikes in mind. But he remains negative about U.S. intervention in the conflict in Iraq and has already ruled out the possibility of putting U.S. troops on the ground there.
　カギを握るのは米国の対応だ。オバマ大統領は、「あらゆる選択肢を排除しない」と述べ、空爆も念頭にペルシャ湾へ空母を派遣した。一方で、紛争介入への消極姿勢は変わらず、地上軍投入の可能性を早々に排除した。

Obama was elected to the presidency by advocating the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and completed their withdrawal in 2011.
　オバマ氏は、米軍のイラク撤退を掲げて当選し、２０１１年に撤収を完了させた。

The deteriorating situation in Iraq raises a question for Obama: Has the United States taken sufficient measures to maintain law and order in Iraq following its withdrawal?
イラク情勢の悪化は、撤収後の治安確保の手当てなどが十分だったのかという問いを大統領に突きつけている。

A key point now is how Iran, a major Shiite country neighboring Iraq with a large influence on the Maliki administration, will act. The country is said to be ready to hold direct talks with the United States over assistance to Iraq, despite the fact that the two countries have broken off ties.
　シーア派大国で、マリキ政権に影響力を持つ隣国イランの出方も焦点だ。イラク支援をめぐり、断交中の米国とも直接協議する方針という。

Other neighboring countries in the Middle East are urged to present a united front against the ISIS by joining international efforts.
中東の周辺国は、この動きに加わり、対ＩＳＩＳで共闘していくことが求められる。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 17, 2014)