美國承認爲擊敗伊斯蘭國正艱苦努力

The United States says it is stepping up airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq, as top U.S. military leaders acknowledged to lawmakers Tuesday that the U.S is struggling to combat the insurgent group.

美國最高軍事官員星期二對國會議員表示，美軍正加緊對敘利亞和伊拉克境內伊斯蘭國目標的空襲，美國爲打擊這個激進組織正艱苦努力。

"No one is satisfied with our progress to date," Marine General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a hearing on the American military strategy in the Middle East.

美軍參謀長聯席會議主席、海軍陸戰隊上將鄧福德在一次有關中東地區美國軍事戰略的聽證會上說：“目前爲止我們的進步不令人滿意。”

Defense Secretary Ash Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee he was "disappointed" in the failure of a $500 million U.S. effort to train moderate rebel forces in Syria to fight against the Islamic State. The United States abandoned the program earlier this month after only a few soldiers had been trained.

美國防長卡特在參議院軍事委員會的這次聽證會上說，他對美國耗資5億美元訓練敘利亞溫和派反對武裝打擊伊斯蘭國的努力感到“失望”。美國本月初放棄了這一行動，之前只有少數士兵受訓。

In response, Carter said the United States has intensified its aerial campaign against the Islamic State in hopes of shrinking its hold on Raqqa in northern Syria, the headquarters of its operations.

卡特表示，作爲迴應，美國加強了對伊斯蘭國目標的空中打擊，以期削弱其在敘利亞北部城市拉卡的控制。拉卡是伊斯蘭國的行動總部。