美军将向伊拉克增派600多名士兵
美国国防部长卡特星期三宣布，美国和伊拉克达成一项增派600多名美军前往伊拉克的计划，协助伊拉克从伊斯兰国手中夺回摩苏尔。
卡特在新墨西哥州对记者说，增派美军是联军“加速攻势”的一部分，以“孤立和粉碎”伊斯兰国对摩苏尔的控制，并“扩大伊拉克保安部队在其他地区的战果。”
一名美国国防官员说，增派的美军人数是615人，从而将美国授权在伊拉克与伊斯兰国作战的总兵力增至5262人。
卡特说，增派的美军人员将训练、建议并协助伊拉克保安部队和库尔德自由战士。他们还将被用来改善后勤工作并加强情报行动，“特别着重于”破获伊斯兰国对巴格达和西方发动恐怖袭击的阴谋。
卡特也表达了与其他美国高层国防官员相同的看法。他们提出，重新夺回摩苏尔的战斗几个星期之内就有可能展开。
U.S. Will Send 600 More Troops to Iraq
The U.S. and Iraq have agreed on a plan that will send about 600 additional American troops to Iraq to help retake Mosul from Islamic State, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters in New Mexico, Carter said the increase is part of the coalition's "accelerating campaign" to "isolate and collapse" Islamic State's control over Mosul and "expand gains by Iraqi Security Forces elsewhere in Iraq."
A U.S. defense official put the total number at 615, bringing the number of American troops authorized to fight IS in Iraq at 5,262.
Carter said the additional U.S. military personnel will train, advise and assist Iraqi Security Forces and Kurdish Peshmerga. They also will be used to improve logistics and to intensify intelligence operations with a “special emphasis” on uncovering IS plans to launch terror attacks against Baghdad and the West.
Carter also echoed other top U.S. defense officials who have suggested the battle to retake Mosul could get under way in a matter of weeks.
美国会通过临时拨款法案避免政府关门
美国国会星期三通过了一项拨款法案，使政府可以再维持运作几个月，同时为应对寨卡病毒提供11亿美元的拨款。
众议院以342对85票，参议院以72对26票通过了这个法案。
若不延长预算，很多政府机构到星期五午夜联邦财政年度结束时将没有任何资金。新的拨款法案的有效期一直持续到12月9日。
国会高层领袖解决了围绕向密西根州弗林特提供援助，以帮助该市解决水污染问题而存在的僵局之后，拨款法案出现了突破。支持援助弗林特的民主党人对共和党人保证在11月的大选后落实給弗林特的拨款表示满意。
这个法案还包括向路易斯安那和其它州提供5亿美元的水灾救济。
参众两院的民主党人曾誓言反对拨款法案，直到共和党人接受弗林特市的援助计划。该市有10万多人喝了两年多遭铅污染的自来水。
这一妥协化解了在寨卡病毒拨款问题上一场令人沮丧的持久战。民主党人在弗林特问题上取得了部分胜利，共和党人控制的路易斯安那州国会代表团则赢得了奥巴马请求国会給该州26亿美元拨款的首付。
US Congress Passes Spending Bill to Avoid Potential Shutdown
The U.S. Congress passed a spending bill Wednesday that will keep the government operating for another few months and provide $1.1 billion for efforts to combat the Zika virus.
The measure passed by a margin of 342-85 in the House and 72-26 in the Senate.
Without the extension, many government agencies would have run out of money when the federal fiscal year ends at midnight Friday. The new spending bill runs through December 9.
The breakthrough came after top congressional leaders resolved a stalemate over aid to Flint, Michigan, to help the city address its water crisis. Democratic advocates for Flint are now satisfied with Republican assurances that money for Flint will be finalized after the country's November elections.
The bill also includes $500 million for flood relief in Louisiana and other states.
Democrats in the Senate and House had vowed to oppose the bill until Republicans agreed to an aid package for Flint, a city of more than 100,000 people that has had lead-tainted drinking water for more than two years.
The deal defuses a lengthy, frustrating battle over Zika spending. Democrats claimed a partial victory on Flint while the GOP-dominated Louisiana delegation won a downpayment on Obama's $2.6 billion request for their state.