11-30-06

南韓計劃明年底前從伊拉克撤軍 (South Korea Plans Withdrawal of Troops in Iraq by End of Next Year)

南韓表示，它計劃2007年年底前撤出駐伊拉克的所有軍隊。南韓官員星期四說，南韓政府將在6月底以前制定出結束伊拉克使命的計劃。南韓是繼美國和英國之後，向伊拉克派遣維和部隊最多的國家。

2004年，南韓向伊拉克部署了大約3500部隊。自那以後，南韓已經把駐軍減少到了2300人。南韓是美國領導的伊拉克多國部隊中最新一個宣佈撤軍時間表的國家。這個星期早些時候，英國宣佈，計劃明年年底前撤走數千部隊。英國目前在伊拉克南部地區部署了7200人。波蘭也表示，要在明年年底前撤走目前仍在伊拉克的所有900名軍人。

South Korea says it plans to withdraw all its troops from Iraq by the end of 2007. South Korean officials said Thursday the government will draw up a plan by the end of June to wrap up the mission. Seoul has been the third largest contributor of international forces in Iraq, behind the United States and Britain.

In 2004, South Korea deployed about 35-hundred troops to Iraq. Since then it has reduced the contingent to 23-hundred. South Korea is the latest member of the U.S.-led multinational coalition in Iraq to announce a timetable for withdrawal. Earlier this week, Britain said it expects to withdraw thousands of troops next year. Britain has 72-hundred soldiers in southern Iraq.

Poland also says it will pull its remaining 900 soldiers out of Iraq by the end of next year.

日本國會批准防衛廳升格為防衛省 (Japanese Parliament Endorses Upgrade for Defense Agency)

日本國會眾議院投票通過把日本防衛廳提升為防衛省。如果得到參議院的批准，這一升級將意味著防衛大臣可以召開內閣會議，推行新立法，對國防預算擁有更大的控制權。

日本首相安倍晉三說，這一提升必要，讓日本可以對任何情況做出恰當的反應。第二次世界大戰以來，日本自衛隊只能參加非戰鬥行動。日本正在考慮修訂憲法的一個條款。日本這一條款禁止使用武力解決國際爭端。日本憲法規定，軍事力量只能用於自衛。

Japan's lower house of Parliament has voted to upgrade the country's Defense Agency into a ministry. If approved by the upper house, the upgrade means the country's defense minister will be able to convene cabinet meetings, push new legislation and have greater control over the national defense budget.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said the upgrade is needed to allow Japan to respond appropriately to any situation. Japan's self-defense forces has been allowed to participate only in non-combat operations since World War Two. Japan is considering legislation to amend a clause in its constitution that bars the use of force in settling international disputes, and allows a military force for self-defense only.