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General Miller had long set out a goal of an 8,600-member troop force as being both a desired level
据两名国防官员透露，米勒将军早就设定了将驻军规模缩减至8600人这一目标，一方面是因为这一规模相对理想，
and as the minimum needed to support the Afghan military, according to two defense officials.
另一方面，这一规模也是支持阿富汗军方所需的最小驻军规模。
General Miller, a Special Operations officer by profession, has a reputation for whittling down military units
身为特种作战军官，米勒将军一向以擅长削减军队规模著称，
and commands to “trim the fat” and best accomplish their mission.
身为指挥官，他的任务就是“减肥”，以最佳成绩完成任务。
In the last year that he has led the Afghan mission,
在他领导阿富汗任务的最后一年，
American troops have focused on seeking out leadership for Afghan forces
美军一直致力于为阿富汗军队物色能更好地承担战争带来的压力，
who can better carry the burden of the war, while the United States can focus its resources in backing them up with air power.
让美国能集中资源支援阿富汗的空中力量的领导力量。
At the height of the war, in 2010 and 2011,
在阿富汗战争最为激烈的阶段，也即2010~2011年，
more than 100,000 American troops were stationed in Afghanistan,
驻阿美军的规模达到了10万人以上，
aided by tens of thousands of soldiers from NATO allies in what made up one of the biggest military coalitions in the world.
还有北约联盟派出的数万名士兵辅助，双方当时结成了世界上最大的军事联盟。
Now, a further reduction in American forces would mean that the burden of training the Afghan military would fall more heavily
如今，美军规模进一步缩减，这就意味着训练阿富汗军队的重任将主要落到
on the roughly 8,500 NATO forces and other allies in the country.
该国境内的8500名左右的北约士兵及其他盟军的肩上。
It is unclear, however, whether a reduction in American forces might lead to some reconsideration by NATO allies as well.
然而，美方削减驻军这一举措是否会影响北约盟国对阿富汗战争的看法目前尚不清楚。
In a recent interview with The New York Times,
最近，在接受《纽约时报》采访时，
NATO’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, would not speculate on any reduction of troops,
北约秘书长延斯·斯托尔滕贝格拒绝猜测盟军会做出任何撤军举措，
but added that NATO remains committed to the mission in Afghanistan.
但他说道，北约对阿富汗任务初心未泯。
“We have adjusted that many times,
“我们已经对这一任务做出了多次调整，
and we will always assess exactly the way and the composition of our forces in Afghanistan,” Mr. Stoltenberg said.
我们会经常评估我们在阿富汗的部队的组成和行为方式，”斯托尔滕贝格说。
The plan to shrink the force in Afghanistan comes as much of the world’s attention
缩减驻阿美军规模这一计划出台之际，全球的目光
has been focused on the retreat of American forces from the front line in Syria as Turkish-backed troops advance into the country.
很大程度上都落在了美军因为土耳其支持的部队向叙利亚逼近从叙利亚前线撤退一事上。
And in many ways, the changes in Syria and Afghanistan are linked.
就许多方面而言，叙利亚和阿富汗局势的改变都有一定的关联。
In December, in the aftermath of Mr. Trump’s first announcement that American forces would be leaving Syria,
去年12月，特朗普首次宣布美军将撤离叙利亚之后，
he also demanded the withdrawal of 7,000 troops from Afghanistan.
他便已提出从阿富汗撤军7000人的要求。
Mr. Trump’s orders sent the Pentagon and the American command in the Middle East
官员们表示，特朗普的命令下达之后，五角大楼以及美国驻中东司令部
scrambling in an effort to persuade the president otherwise, officials say.
均争抢着要说服总统打消这一命令。
译文由可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载。
