澳大利亚作战部队开始撤离伊拉克

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Australian combat troops have begun leaving Iraq. Their departure fulfills an election promise by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who pledged to pull his country's out of Iraq by the middle of 2008.

澳大利亚作战部队开始撤离伊拉克。这项撤离兑现了陆克文总理在竞选时的诺言。陆克文竞选时曾经保证，一旦当选，将在2008年中开始把澳大利亚军队撤出伊拉克。

For Australia's 550 combat soldiers, the war in Iraq is over.

对澳大利亚的五百五十名战斗人员来说，伊拉克战争已经结束。

They have begun leaving their base at Tallil, 300 kilometers south of Baghdad, where they have been helping to train Iraqi security forces.

他们开始撤离位于巴格达以南三百公里的塔里尔基地。他们过去在那里协助训练伊拉克安全部队。

They have handed their military responsibilities over to American units.

In southern Iraq, a ceremony was held to mark Australia's exit from a conflict that has been widely unpopular back home.

在伊拉克南部，举行了纪念澳大利亚军队撤离伊拉克的仪式。伊拉克战争在澳大利亚非常不得人心。

The commanding officer of Australia's Overwatch Battle Group, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Websdane, told the departing soldiers that their mission had been a success.

澳大利亚监督战斗团的指挥官维布斯丹中校，对这些即将离开伊拉克的澳大利亚军人说，他们的使命已经成功。

"The work here is now done and it's time to return to your families and loved ones. You should be proud of your achievements. I am," he said. "You should be proud of your personal sacrifices and the part you have all played in bringing hope and prosperity to the people of Al Muthanna and Dhi Qar."

维布斯丹说：“在这里的工作已经完成，现在是你们回到家人和所爱的人身边的时候了。你们 应该为你们的成就感到骄傲。我本人就很骄傲。你们应该为你们的个人牺牲感到骄傲，你们应该为你们所扮演的，将希望和繁荣带给伊拉克穆参纳和迪卡尔人民的部分角色感到骄傲。”

There also were words of appreciation from U.S. Lieutenant General Lloyd Austin, who is commander of the Multinational Corps in Iraq...

伊拉克多国部队指挥官、美军中将奥斯丁也表达了感谢之意。

"The Overwatch Battle Group was instrumental in establishing self-sustaining governance and security in Al Muthanna, in improving the security situation in Dhi Qar, and in the continued development of the Iraqi security forces," he said.

奥斯丁说：“监督战斗团在建立穆参纳自给自足的管理和安全方面，在改善迪卡尔的安全形势方面，以及在伊拉克安全部队的继续发展方面，都至关重要。”

Some Australian military personnel will remain in Iraq to protect diplomats and a navy vessel will continue to patrol the Persian Gulf.

但是，一些澳大利亚的军事人员将继续留在伊拉克保护澳大利亚外交官，一艘澳大利亚军舰也将继续在波斯湾水域巡逻。

The withdrawal of Australian combat troops fulfills a campaign promise of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was swept into office in November largely on the promise that he would bring the soldiers home by the middle of 2008.

澳大利亚作战部队从伊拉克撤出，兑现了陆克文竞选时的承诺。陆克文去年11月高票当选澳大利亚总理，主要原因就是他保证到2008年中将澳大利亚部队撤回。

Mr. Rudd said Australia's deployment in Iraq had made his country more of a target for terrorism and that the reasons for going to war in the Persian Gulf were flawed.

陆克文说，澳大利亚军队驻扎在伊拉克，使澳大利亚更可能成为恐怖主义的目标，而且当初参加伊拉克战争的理由就有问题。

The government in Canberra has been eager to stress that the Iraq pull-out would not damage its close alliance with the United States.

堪培拉政府一再强调，从伊拉克撤军不会损害澳大利亚和美国的紧密联盟关系。

Prime Minister Rudd remains committed to keeping Australia's one-thousand troops in Afghanistan.

此外，陆克文总理仍然承诺，澳大利亚会继续在阿富汗驻军一千人。