11-08-2005

美明年中換防九萬多駐伊美軍 (92,000 US Troops to be sent to Iraq mid next year as part of rotation)

美國軍方說，2006年年中開始，將向伊拉克派遣9萬2千名軍人。這是一次例行的軍隊輪換。國防部長拉姆斯菲爾德星期一警告說，這個數目並不表明駐伊美軍人數會減少，美國目前在伊拉克有兵力16萬人。拉姆斯菲爾德說，即將開赴伊拉克的部隊名單沒有最終確定，而且最終需要多少美軍在伊拉克，還要根據伊拉克的情況而定。拉姆斯菲爾德說，那些情況包括反叛活動的強度和美國訓練的伊拉克安全部隊的能力等。

今年大部份時間，美軍在伊拉克的人數保持在13萬8千左右，不過，美軍兵力最近有所增加，這是為了10月舉行的伊拉克憲法全民公投和12月即將舉行的選舉能夠安全進行。

The U.S. military says 92-thousand troops will be sent to Iraq starting in mid-2006 as part of a regular troop rotation.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld cautioned (Monday) that the number does not signal plans to reduce the U.S. troop level in Iraq, which now stands at 160-thousand. He said the list of units designated for deployment is not final, and that troop levels will ultimately depend on conditions in Iraq.Mr. Rumsfeld said those conditions include the strength of the insurgency and the capabilities of U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces.

The U.S. troop level in Iraq has stayed around 138-thousand for most of the year, but was increased recently to boost security for Iraq's constitutional referendum in October and the upcoming December elections.

胡錦濤訪問倫敦開始歐洲之行 (Chinese President Starts European Tour in London)

中國國家主席胡錦濤抵達倫敦。這是他歐洲3國之行的第一站。英國伊麗莎白女王舉行儀式，歡迎胡錦濤來訪。歡迎儀式後，胡錦濤與英國首相布萊爾就經濟關係和全球氣候變暖等一系列問題舉行會談。

預計，胡錦濤還將討論北京爭取讓歐盟結束對中國實行了16年的武器禁運的問題。這項禁令是在1989年中國鎮壓天安門民主抗議運動之後施行的。

數以百計的人權人士和西藏活動人士星期二在胡錦濤一行經過的沿途進行抗議。

胡錦濤結束在英國兩天訪問之後，還將前往德國和西班牙，然後前往南韓出席11月18號召開的亞太經合組織領導人會議。

Chinese President Hu Jintao is in London, the first stop of a three-nation European tour.Mr. Hu received a ceremonial welcome from Queen Elizabeth today (Tuesday), ahead of talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on a range of issues, including economic relations and global warming.

He also is expected to discuss Beijing's push for an end to a 16-year European Union arms embargo against China. The ban was imposed after China's crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests.

Hundreds of human rights protesters and Tibetan activists gathered along Mr. Hu's procession route today.

Following his two-day British visit, Mr. Hu travels to Germany and Spain before heading to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum that begins November 18th.