美疏於調查虐囚案 維基解密揪出真相

策劃、編譯■李威撰、謝雯?



維基解密甫於7月份公布「阿富汗戰爭日記」，10月又再推出「伊拉克戰爭紀錄」，

網站自架設以來，已揭露許多不為人知的密件，

讓所有與公眾相關、卻又遭到政府封鎖的資訊，有機會被攤開在陽光底下，

維基解密在顧及人民知的權利同時；另一方面也兼顧到洩密者的隱私，

除能夠監督並防範政府腐敗行徑外，洩密者也因此享有免於恐懼的自由。

根據各媒體報導，「維基解密」網站22日公布的40萬份美軍機密文件顯示，美國雖事先知曉伊拉克警方和軍人的虐囚案，但卻未能調查。

The United States knew but failed to investigate cases of prisoner abuse （1） by Iraqi police and soldiers, according to reports on Friday about a release of some 400,000 secret U.S. files by the WikiLeaks website.

看過公布的資料內容後，國際特赦組織大肆譴責美國，質疑美國當局是否違反國際法，竟將遭到拘留者送交給伊拉克軍方，伊拉克軍方以「程度驚人」的虐待聞名。

Amnesty International condemned the revelations in the documents and questioned whether U.S. authorities had broken international law by handing over detainees （2） to Iraqi forces known to be committing abuses "on a truly shocking scale."

維基解密網站所公開的內容也觸及了其他主題，包括美方曾關切伊朗對伊拉克武裝份子的訓練和支持。維基解密網站上還公布了伊拉克衝突中平民死亡人數的最新細節。

The Iraq war files also touched on other themes, including well-known U.S. concerns about Iranian training and support for Iraqi militias. They also offered new details on civilian deaths in the Iraqi conflict.

評論人士表示，維基解密這一揭密網站，是被一項反戰議程所推動。這次是維基解密繼今年7月公布超過7萬份阿富汗戰爭相關文件之後，第二次重要的美軍機密檔案散布。

For WikiLeaks, a whistle-blowing （3） website that critics say is driven by an anti-war agenda, it was the second major dissemination of classified U.S. military documents since July, when it published more than 70,000 files on the Afghan war.

這兩次機密文件被公開的事件，代表了美國軍事史上最大規模的安全漏洞，引起美國國防部的強烈指責。

The two incidents represent the largest security breaches of their kind in U.S. military history, and have drawn a sharp rebuke from the Pentagon.

美國國防部新聞秘書莫瑞爾表示：「我們強烈譴責維基解密網站引誘個人去違反法律、洩露機密文件，並隨意與全球分享這些秘密資訊。」

"We deplore WikiLeaks for inducing individuals to break the law, leak classified documents and then cavalierly share that secret information with the world," Geoff Morrell, Pentagon press secretary, said.

然而，美國國防部堅稱維基解密網站公開的文件當中並沒有太多重要資訊，認為這起洩密事件真正的風險在於，會讓好戰份子鎖定美國在伊拉克的合作者，或是讓他們可以從檔案中取得有關美軍行動的情資。

Still, the Pentagon has played down any major revelations in the documents themselves, saying the real danger is that militants will target Iraqi collaborators or gain intelligence （4） from the files about U.S. operations.

雖然近幾年來，伊拉克戰事已退出美國公共辯論的核心，這次大批檔案公開很有可能會讓部分戰時最令人難受的記憶再度甦醒，當中包括了阿布賈里布監獄虐囚醜聞。

Although the Iraq conflict has faded from U.S. public debate in recent years, the document dump threatens to revive memories of some of the most trying times in the war, including the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal.

維基解密網站給部分媒體通路能優先使用這個大型資料庫，而英國《衛報》和半島電視台都表示，這次所公開的檔案，顯示美軍實際上對伊拉克的違權事件視而不見。

WikiLeaks gave some media outlets advance access to the massive database, and Britain's Guardian newspaper and Al Jazeera television said the documents showed U.S. forces effectively turned a blind eye to Iraqi rights violations.

《衛報》描述了一則案例，一名拘留者先是遭到員警在腿上開一槍，隨後又遭受到虐待，被棍棒及水管抽打整個背部，導致肋骨斷裂、多處撕裂傷及紅腫。《衛報》寫道：「結果是：『無後續調查』。」

The Guardian wrote about a case where police shot a prisoner in the leg after which the detainee suffered abuse that caused cracked ribs, multiple lacerations and welts from being whipped with a large rod and hose across his back. "The outcome: 'No further investigation,'" the Guardian wrote.

《紐約時報》寫道：「雖然美方有調查部分案件，但是檔案中的大部分案例似乎都被忽視了。」紐約時報表示，美軍人員的確有向上級報告虐囚案件，也要求伊拉克人去進行調查。

The New York Times said that "while some abuse cases were investigated by the Americans, most noted in the archive seemed to have been ignored." It said soldiers had told their officers about the abuses and then asked Iraqis to investigate.

國際特赦組織提到，在2009年初到2010年7月之間，有數以千計原本被美軍囚禁的伊拉克人被美國移轉到伊拉克監獄中，在移轉的協議裡，並未包含確保人權的條款。

Amnesty noted that thousands of Iraqis who had been detained by U.S. forces were transferred from U.S. to Iraqi custody between early 2009 and July 2010 under an agreement that contained no provisions for ensuring human rights.

國際特赦組織中東北非事務負責人史馬特說：「這些檔案清楚地提供了進一步的證據，顯示美國當局好幾年前就已意識到這個有系統性的虐待事件。」

"These documents apparently provide further evidence that the U.S. authorities have been aware of this systematic abuse for years," said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International's director for the Middle East and North Africa.

這次文件釋出以後，也可能會再次展開有關能夠影響伊拉克的國內外參與者的爭論。伊拉克在今年3月經歷一場無確切定論的選舉後，伊拉克就處於一種政治真空的狀態。

The document release could also renew debate about foreign and domestic players influencing Iraq, which has been in a political vacuum since an inconclusive election in March.

《衛報》報導，維基解密所公布的軍事情資報告，詳述了美國所關切的伊朗情報人員在伊拉克訓練、武裝並指揮死亡攻擊小組。

Military intelligence reports released by WikiLeaks detail U.S. concerns that Iranian agents had trained, armed and directed death squads in Iraq, the Guardian reported.

《衛報》引述一份2005年10月31日的報告，報告內容指出，伊斯蘭革命衛隊在巴斯拉地區主導了伊朗所支持的暗殺行動。

It cited an October 31, 2005, report stating that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps "directs Iranian-sponsored assassinations （5） in Basra."

美國駐伊拉克大使今年8月表示，他相信由伊朗撐腰的幾個團體應為美軍在伊拉克戰爭中4分之1的死傷人數負責。自從2003年美國領導的侵略行動開始以後，超過4千4百名的美國軍人遭到殺害。到明年年底之前，所有美國軍隊預定都將從伊拉克撤退。

The U.S. envoy in Iraq said in August he believed groups backed by Iran were responsible for a quarter of U.S. casualties in the Iraq war. More than 4,400 U.S. soldiers have been killed since the start of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. All U.S. forces are set to withdraw from Iraq by the end of next year.

（路透Reuters）

關鍵字詞

Key Words

1. abuse

(n. v.) 虐待、濫用

2. detainee

(n.) 被拘留者、被扣押者

3. whistle-blowing

(n.) 告密

4. intelligence

(n.) 情報

5. assassination

(n.) 暗殺

文章來源: 台灣立報