众议院民主党将要求按时从伊撤出美军

众议院民主党将要求按时从伊撤出美军(House Democrats to Call for Timed Withdrawal of US Troops from Iraq)

美国国会众议院民主党领导人制定了一项提案，要求美国作战部队在2008年年底之前撤离伊拉克。

这项星期四提交给民主党议员审议的提案要求，如果伊拉克政府不能达到某些目标，例如为伊拉克人民提供安全和制定分享石油收入的计划，美军就要按照提议中设定的时间表撤离。

提案要求五角大楼在向伊拉克派兵前必须证明部队得到了适当的培训、有充足的装备和充份的休整。但是提案也允许布什总统免除这些条件。

民主党领导人计划将这个提案纳入另外一项议案。那项议案要求为在伊拉克和阿富汗的军事行动提供1千亿美元的经费。

Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives have crafted a proposal that will require the removal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of 2008.

The plan, which will be presented to Democratic lawmakers Thursday, sets a timetable for U.S. forces to leave if the Iraqi government does not meet certain goals, including establishing security for its people and creating an oil revenue sharing plan.

The measure requires the Pentagon to certify troops are properly trained, equipped and rested before being deployed to Iraq. But it also allows President Bush to waive these conditions.

Democratic leaders plan to add the proposal to a bill that calls for spending 100-billion dollars for military operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

联合国纪念国际妇女节 (United Nations Marks International Women's Day)

联合国在国际妇女节之际呼吁世界各国更加努力制止强奸、杀害和其它针对妇女的暴行，特别是在武装冲突期间。

联合国妇女发展基金执行主任诺埃林.海泽星期四发表声明说，强奸被当做一种战争武器。该组织说，由于冲突期间法律和社会体系崩溃，妇女遭受的暴行要比和平时期更为严重。

该联合国机构说，尽管联合国192个成员国里有104个国家规定配偶强奸也是犯罪，但是这方面的执法情况很不理想。

联合国安理会星期三呼吁将武装冲突期间对妇女和儿童犯下的性和暴力行为定为战争罪。

The United Nations is marking International Women's Day with calls for countries to do more to end rape, killings and other violence against women, especially during armed conflicts.

Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of the U.N. Development Fund for Women, issued a statement Thursday saying that rape is used as a weapon of war. The organization says the violence that women experience in times of peace intensifies greatly during conflict, as legal and social systems break down.

The U.N. agency said that while 104 out of 192 U.N. member states make marital rape a crime, the laws are poorly enforced.

On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council called for sexual and violent acts against women and children during armed conflict to be regarded as war crimes.