庫爾德人爲康巴恩守城者和美國空軍歡呼

“WE WILL resist to our last drop of blood together… if necessary we will repeat the Stalingrad resistance in Kobane.” The words of Polat Can, a Syrian Kurdish commander, to describe the fight against Islamic State (IS) jihadists for the town on the Syrian-Turkish border may exaggerate the scale of the fighting, but makes plain the emotional and strategic symbolism now attached to Kobane.

“我們將戰鬥到底，直至流盡最後一滴血…如有必要，我們將在康巴恩進行斯大林格勒式的抵抗。”敘利亞庫德人指揮官Polat Can的這番話，用來描述發生在敘土邊境小城康巴恩抵抗伊斯蘭國的戰鬥似有誇大戰鬥規模之嫌，但用來闡明康巴恩庫爾德守城者目前的高昂情緒與作戰策略則頗具象徵意義。

On October 29th about 150 Iraqi Kurdish fighters, the Peshmerga, dispatched by cheering crowds in Irbil, set off through Turkey to reinforce their brother Kurds. The deployment was sanctioned by the Turkish authorities, after much haggling.

十月29日，約150名伊拉克庫爾德戰士（庫爾德民兵組織“自由衛士”），從埃爾比勒市歡呼的人羣中走出，經土耳其出發，前去支援他們在康巴恩奮戰的兄弟們。這一部署在經過一番討價還價之後終於爲土耳其當局批准。

For the other parties to the battle—America and IS—the confrontation, now in its seventh week, has also acquired increasing importance. For IS, the expectation was of an easy victory that would have given it control over a large section of the border and the main road between its stronghold in Raqqa and Aleppo. But it has now become a test of the group’s military prowess. Winning Kobane would not just deal a crushing blow to Kurdish resistance in northern Syria, but would also send out a message of invincibility in the face of American air power.

對於康巴恩守衛戰中的另兩方——美國和伊斯蘭國來說，這一已進入第七週的對抗正變得日益重要。伊斯蘭國本指望能輕易獲勝，並由此控制其在Raqqa和Aleppo據點之間的大片邊界和主要道路。如今，康巴恩卻考驗着伊斯蘭國的軍事力量。對於伊斯蘭國而言，取得康巴恩之戰的勝利不僅可以予敘利亞北部康爾德抵抗軍以重創，而且能創造一個面對美國空軍不敗的神話。

America, too, is increasingly committed to saving Kobane. A few weeks ago American officials were keen to downplay the importance of the city, seeing it as a distraction from the wider campaign against IS. Pentagon briefings were resolutely downbeat, suggesting that, despite air strikes, the town might fall to IS at any time. By October 13th IS controlled more than half the town. But in the days that followed the aerial bombardment on IS positions in and around the town both intensified and increased in their accuracy, thanks to direct co-operation with Kurdish fighters on the ground. By the 19th there were air-drops of weapons, ammunitions and medical supplies by C-130 transports. Some ground lost to IS was recovered.

與此同時，美國越發致力於保住康巴恩。幾周前，美國官員傾向於對這個城市輕描淡寫，認爲這只是更大規模對伊斯蘭國作戰中的一個插曲。來自五角大樓的簡訊無疑對康巴恩之戰持悲觀態度，暗示儘管有空襲相助，該城隨時都可能落入敵手。到十月13日，伊斯蘭國控制了該城一半以上面積。但隨後，在庫爾德戰士的直接合作下，美國對伊斯蘭國在康巴恩及其附近的目標增加了空襲強度、提高了空襲精確度。到十月19日，C-130運輸機已開始向庫爾德地面作戰人員空投武器、彈藥和醫療物資，部分失地被奪回。

What changed? Partly it was a perception that defeat in Kobane in front of television reporters massed on the Turkish side of the border would only stoke criticism of America’s handling of the campaign. Partly it was a recognition that the fighting qualities of Syrian Kurds could prove invaluable in the long war. And partly it was a realisation that Kobane could be turned into a meatgrinder for jihadists.

美國態度緣何改變？原因有三。一是美國擔心，當着聚集在敘土邊境土耳其這邊的記者們的面丟掉康巴恩，只會引發對美國領導的反伊斯蘭國運動作戰策略的批評；二是美國認爲，在這場長期戰爭中，敘利亞庫爾德人的作戰能力是不可估量的；三是美國意識到，康巴恩可以成爲聖戰分子的“凡爾登絞肉機”。

IS has been happy to accept the challenge. As well as pouring more men and equipment into the fight, on October 27th it distributed a bizarre five-minute video in which a British hostage, John Cantlie, appeared to dispatch a “news report” from Kobane. Its purpose was to refute the idea that the battle was swinging against IS. Dresssed in black, Mr Cantlie tells the camera that America and its allies “even with all their air power and all their proxy troops on the ground” cannot defeat IS.

伊斯蘭國樂於接受這一挑戰。在將更多的人員和裝備投入康巴恩之戰的同時，伊斯蘭國於十月27日發佈了一個時長五分鐘的奇怪視頻。視頻中英國人質John Cantlie似在發表來自康巴恩的“新聞報道”。這樣做的目的在於駁斥戰局已對伊斯蘭國不利的觀點。一身黑衣的John Cantlie在鏡頭前稱美國及其盟友即便動用所有空軍和代理人軍隊力量也不能戰勝伊斯蘭國。

It is still not possible say who will prevail in Kobane. Kurdish defenders appear to be outnumbered but in street-to-street fighting the heavy weapons and vehicles that usually give IS its edge are of limited use. IS is up against a foe with nowhere to retreat, an improving supply of arms and continued air support. Kobane may not be Stalingrad, but if it holds out, the psychological damage to IS will be real.

康巴恩鹿死誰手尚難定奪。儘管庫爾德人看似在人數上處於劣勢，但常使伊斯蘭國具有優勢的重型武器和車輛在巷戰中難伸拳腳。伊斯蘭國面對的敵人背水一戰，且其武器補給越來越多，空中支援持續不斷。康巴恩也許不是斯大林格勒，但如果康巴恩能守住，那對伊斯蘭國心理上的打擊將是顯著的。