http://n.yam.com/cna/international/200903/20090326385595.html
美國會審計局稱美軍撤離伊拉克將耗費不貲
中央社╱中央社 2009-03-26 16:59
（中央社記者鍾行憲台北26日電）美國國會審計局的一份最新報告指出，在2011年底前將所有美軍撤離伊拉克會是一項耗費不貲的行動，歐巴馬總統必須說明他將如何「負責任的」自伊拉克撤軍。
歐巴馬總統在2月宣布，駐伊美軍將在2010年8月底前結束戰鬥任務，屆時將留下3萬5000到5萬名美軍協助伊拉克安全部隊，然後在2011年底全數撤離。
根據美國與伊拉克去年12月簽訂的協定，目前人數約有14萬的美軍將在今年6月底前撤離伊拉克城鎮，並在2011年底前全部撤出伊拉克。
然而，這項美伊協定仍需伊拉克7月進行公民投票確認，如果遭到拒絕，所有美軍將被迫提早在2010年7月前撤離。
歐巴馬在宣布撤軍計畫時說：「我們不會讓追求完美阻礙可以達成的目標。我們無法無限期維持已對美軍造成沈重壓力，也將耗費美國人民將近1兆美元的一項承諾。」
但是紐約智庫「外交關係協會」專家布魯諾（GregBruno）指出，如果伊拉克任務的成本高昂，撤離的代價也絕不便宜。
自2001年以來美國在阿富汗和伊拉克執行反恐任務已花費大約9390億美元，除了今年編列的755億美元戰費預算之外，歐巴馬政府也要求國會明年指撥1300億美元支應伊拉克與阿富汗戰事所需。
美國國會預算處今年元月時估計，兩個戰區若維持3萬名美國駐軍，到2019年時政府將再支出3880億美元。駐軍人數若增至7萬5000人，未來10年美國納稅人將額外負擔8670億美元。
國會審計局25日發表的「伊拉克：國會監督的重要問題」報告說，雖然撤軍似乎會減少支出，但是撤離如越戰等以往幾次衝突的經驗顯示，撤軍後近期內的成本往往是不減反增。
報告指出，裝備維修與汰換，加上關閉或移交伊拉克境內283處美國軍事設施，「可能會付出重大代價」。
國會審計局說，即使是16名到200名戰鬥部隊駐守的最小設施，也要花多達兩個月時間才能關閉，而關閉駐有2萬4000人的巴拉德空軍基地等幾十個大規模設施，可能需要18個月或更長時間。
雖然歐巴馬表示撤軍行動將從今年撤出兩個旅大約1萬2000名美軍開始，國會審計局估計其餘12萬8000名美軍要到伊拉克12月改選國會後才會陸續撤離。因此，大部分戰鬥部隊將在明年的大約六個月期間撤出。
「外交關係協會」國防政策資深研究員畢德爾（Stephen Biddle）說，他希望政府以較慢的速度自伊拉克撤軍，以維持當地政治對立派系間的和平。
畢德爾上個月在國會作證時指出，將美軍調往阿富汗將使美國在萬一伊拉克情勢突然逆轉時難以應付，遜尼派領袖也擔心在美軍撤離後與什葉派爆發衝突。
國會審計局又說，執行去年12月美伊協定的許多細節仍待敲定。例如，在今年6月以後，駐伊美軍的所有軍事行動必須獲得伊拉克政府批准，但是「目前並不清楚美軍是否可逕自執行醫療評估或例行巡邏等任務」。
美國駐伊拉克大使館目前約有1300人，其中450人派駐各省重建小組。國會審計局的報告質問：「在逐步撤軍時，美國政府計劃如何提供這些文職人員安全保護、住居與醫療照顧？」
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090326/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_afghanistan_ambassador_1
Envoy choice would shed his three stars in Kabul
By ROBERT BURNS, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – Here's something unusual about President Barack Obama's choice of Karl Eikenberry to be the top U.S. civilian official in Afghanistan: He's a three-star Army general.
Eikenberry, a West Point graduate with a wide range of military experience, was appearing Thursday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a confirmation hearing expected to raise no substantial obstacles to him becoming the next U.S. ambassador in Kabul. He would succeed William B. Wood, a career diplomat who has headed the U.S. Embassy there since April 2007.
If confirmed for the post, Eikenberry has said he would retire from the Army.
The Eikenberry appointment is part of set of sweeping changes Obama is planning for the U.S. and allied mission in Afghanistan. The war effort has bogged down to the point where commanders say they are stalemated in the southern part of the country with insurgents led by the radical Taliban movement.
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said Wednesday he sees Eikenberry as an astute choice as chief U.S. diplomat in Kabul in a period of growing worry about the war's direction.
"At such a time, Karl Eikenberry brings exceptionally valuable skills to the table," Kerry said. "After two much-lauded tours of duty there, he knows the military side of the equation as well as anyone can. In his new civilian capacity, he is uniquely placed to get the civil-military balance right."
Eikenberry has previous experience in the political-military arena. He served as the U.S. defense attache in Beijing, and he did a stint in Hawaii as director for strategic planning for the U.S. Pacific Command.
Fluent in Chinese, Eikenberry also is a scholar of Chinese history, including ancient Chinese military history. He has two master's degrees — one in East Asian studies from Harvard and another in political science from Stanford.
John Naland, president of the American Foreign Service Association, a professional organization of retired and active members of the U.S. foreign service, said he knew of no other case of an active-duty general or admiral being nominated for an ambassadorship. Joseph Prueher, a retired four-star admiral, had left the Navy several months before he became U.S. ambassador to China in November 1999. Another retired Navy admiral, William Crowe, served as ambassador to Britain during the Clinton administration.
Eikenberry has served since 2007 as deputy chairman of NATO's military committee in Brussels. Before that he was the top American commander in Afghanistan for two years — his second tour of duty there. He previously was chief of military cooperation, with responsibility for developing Afghan security forces.
Stephen Biddle, a defense specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations and a recent visitor to Afghanistan, said in a telephone interview that there would appear to be reason for concern about possible friction between Eikenberry and the current top U.S. commander there, Gen. David McKiernan.
"Given that most people think the situation in Afghanistan has been getting worse, and that policies are going to have to change, you just wonder what the chemistry will be between these two guys," Biddle said.
"I have observed that senior officers in a theater of war are not necessarily a band of brothers," he added. "Sometimes they get along, sometimes they don't get along. And this strikes me as a situation in which one might imagine that there would be more than the usual amount of potential for an awkward relationship unless they just know each other and like each other and hit it off."
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