「イスラム国」 弱体化へ国際社会は結束せよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Intl community must unite in resolve to undermine ISIL’s strength
「イスラム国」　弱体化へ国際社会は結束せよ

To weaken and eventually eliminate a brutal extremist organization, the international community must work together to tighten its noose around it.
　残忍な過激派組織の弱体化、壊滅という目標に向けて、国際社会は包囲網を強化すべきだ。

One year has passed since U.S. forces launched airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
　米軍が「イスラム国」に対する空爆を開始してから１年が過ぎた。

As a result of about 6,000 air raids carried out by the United States and an international “coalition of the willing” in Iraq and Syria so far, more than 15,000 ISIL fighters, including some of its leaders, have been killed. Some crude oil facilities, a major source of revenue for the ISIL, and its military installations have been destroyed.
　米国と有志連合の国々がイラクとシリアで実施した約６０００回の空爆により、「イスラム国」の幹部を含む戦闘員１万５０００人以上が死亡した。収入源の原油関連施設や軍事施設も破壊した。

Although the air raids have achieved some military gains, prospects for a complete victory over the ISIL remain questionable.
　一定の戦果を上げたものの、掃討の見通しは依然、厳しい。

The recruitment of fighters by the ISIL continues, and there is no sign the strength of the extremist group — believed to be between 20,000 and 30,000 fighters — is weakening. Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city captured by the ISIL last year, remains under its rule. Its fighting methods, such as suicide assaults, are reportedly getting more extreme.
　「イスラム国」への戦闘員の流入はやまず、２万～３万人とされる勢力に衰えは見えない。昨年制圧したイラク第２の都市モスルでの支配も続く。自爆攻撃など戦闘方法は過激化する一方という。

The menace of extremist groups aligned with the ISIL has spread alarmingly not only throughout the Middle East and Africa but also South Asia and Russia.
　同調する過激派の脅威は、中東やアフリカにとどまらず、南アジア、ロシアにも広がっている。

Multifaceted, tenacious endeavors are imperative to stamp out the ISIL. United efforts to address this challenge by the countries concerned must be strengthened even more.
　多角的で粘り強い取り組みが掃討につながる。関係国の結束を一段と強めていく必要がある。

The airstrike operations are fraught with many difficulties, such as how to distinguish targets that are hiding among civilians. To make the operations effective, deployment of ground troops is a prerequisite, and the United States has been exerting efforts toward this end by training local forces.
　空爆には、住民に紛れた標的の識別など、多くの困難が伴う。効果を上げるには地上部隊が欠かせないため、米国は、現地で戦闘要員の育成を進めている。

Turkish role key factor

Prospective local troops trained by the U.S. forces, however, number no more than 11,000 or so in Iraq and a few dozen in Syria. Training more local troops is urgently needed.
　しかし、米軍が訓練し終えた要員はイラクで約１万１０００人、シリアでは数十人に過ぎない。部隊の養成へテコ入れが課題だ。

The United States has been looking for ways to restructure its strategy, as exemplified by an agreement with Turkey, a country bordering Syria, to expand air raids against the ISIL.
　米国は、シリアの隣国トルコと空爆拡大への協力で合意するなど戦略の再構築を模索している。

Earlier, it was noted that Turkey, after placing top priority on ousting the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, has assumed a lukewarm attitude in responding to the ISIL. Recently, however, Turkey allowed U.S. bombers to use an air base located in Turkey, and that base has been used by U.S. drones to make sorties for the first time.
　トルコは従来、シリアのアサド政権打倒を優先し、「イスラム国」への対応が甘いと指摘されていた。だが、最近、米軍機に空爆のための国内基地使用を認め、米無人機が初めて出撃した。

With the aim of beefing up pressure on Raqqa, the key ISIL stronghold in northern Syria, U.S. forces are poised to conduct intensive air raids targeting ISIL fighters near the Turkish border. Attention should be focused on whether the planned air raids will prove to be the first step to turning around the course of the war.
　今後、「イスラム国」の牙城であるシリア北部ラッカへの圧力を高めるため、米軍はトルコとの国境沿いで戦闘員を狙った空爆を集中的に行う構えだ。戦況好転への一歩となるか、注視したい。

To stem the inflow of fighters and weapons for the ISIL across the Turkish border, bolstering surveillance at the border, which stretches more than 900 kilometers, is important.
　トルコからの戦闘員や武器の流入を阻むには、９００キロを超える国境の監視強化も重要だ。

A problem in this connection is that Turkey has begun attacking minority ethnic Kurds in Iraq and Syria. This campaign is aimed at the possibility of those Kurds collaborating with Kurdish antigovernment armed groups operating in Turkey.
　懸念されるのは、トルコがイラクとシリアで少数民族クルド人勢力を攻撃し始めたことだ。自国のクルド系反政府武装組織との連携に対する警戒感が背景にある。

Weakening the influence of the Kurds that have been playing a part in the fight to eradicate the ISIL will undermine the effort to contain it. Turkey should exercise self-restraint in this respect.
　「イスラム国」掃討の一翼を担うクルド人勢力の力をそげば、包囲網は弱まる。トルコの自制が求められる。

In addition, improvement of the human rights situation in the conflict-racked region is a matter of urgency. In July, the Japanese government decided to provide about ¥1.2 billion in emergency assistance to Iraq — about 3.1 million Iraqis are internally displaced people. Japan must fulfill its responsibility in fields other than military affairs.
　人道状況の改善は急務だ。日本は７月、国内避難民が約３１０万人に上るイラクに約１２億円の緊急援助を決めた。非軍事支援で応分の責任を果たさねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 9, 2015)