airport in Iraq.

地點鄰近巴格達國際機場

It killed several Iraqi and Iranian military officials, including Iran's top commander

數名伊拉克、伊朗軍官遭到擊殺 其中包括伊朗的最高將領

named Qassem Soleimani.

他名叫蘇雷曼尼（Qassem Soleimani）

Moments later, Iran's Supreme leader declared Soleimani a martyr and threatened “severe

伊朗最高領袖隨後將蘇雷曼尼 封為殉道者

revenge” against the US.

並揚言要「嚴厲報復」美國

Over the next few days, hundreds of thousands

之後幾天，成千上萬的伊朗人

of Iranians came out to mourn Soleimani's death.

聚集上街哀悼蘇雷曼尼逝世

But Iran wasn't the only place where people took to the streets...

但哀悼蘇雷曼尼的群眾 不只出現在伊朗國內

There were demonstrations in

其他國家也有人們上街示威

Iraq.

像是伊拉克

Syria.

敘利亞

Lebanon.

黎巴嫩

And Yemen.

還有葉門

These are some of the countries where Soleimani commanded a network of powerful militias;

這些國家境內，都有蘇雷曼尼過去領導的武裝組織 形成強大的跨境網路

which gave him and Iran extraordinary influence across the region.

讓伊朗在中東掌握巨大影響力

This network made him one of the most important people in Iran.

也讓蘇雷曼尼成為伊朗的要角

It's also what got him killed.

也是他遭到暗算的原因

So how did Soleimani expand Iran's influence?

究竟，蘇雷曼尼是如何擴大伊朗的影響力？

And what happens to these militias after his death?

蘇雷曼尼身亡後， 這些武裝組織的未來又會如何？

It all began with Iran's Islamic revolution.

這一切要從伊朗的「伊斯蘭革命」說起

In 1979, a cleric named Ayatollah Khomeini led a popular movement that toppled Iran's

1979年，一名叫何梅尼（Ayatollah Khomeini） 的神職人員領導了一場群眾運動

monarch and established the Islamic Republic of Iran.

推翻了當時的伊朗沙王、 建立起「伊朗伊斯蘭共和國」

This new regime wanted to export their revolution and that threatened countries all over the

新政權希望將革命推廣到境外， 於是威脅到周邊各國

Middle East.

衝擊中東地區

Iran was also the first Shia government that billed itself as the preeminent leader of

伊朗也是自許穆斯林世界領頭羊 的政權當中

the Muslim world.

首個什葉派政權

That especially threatened Iran's sunni-dominated neighbors

對鄰近的遜尼派國家產生威脅

The first one to act was Iraq.

其中率先發難的是伊拉克

In 1980, dictator Saddam Hussein sent his army to invade Iran.

1980年，獨裁者海珊（Saddam Hussein） 出兵入侵伊朗

Other countries that felt threatened by Iran supported him.

擔心伊朗崛起的周邊各國紛紛支持

The US sent some weapons to Iran, but mainly supported Iraq throughout the war, hoping

美國雖然提供一些武器給伊朗， 但美方在戰爭中主要支持的是伊拉克

to keep Iran's ambitions in check.

希望能遏制伊朗的野心

The war carried on for 8 years and nearly a million died.

這場戰爭持續約8年之久， 造成近100萬人喪生

During that time, Iran was devastated and surrounded by enemies.

戰爭期間，伊朗遭受重創、腹背受敵

So, it devised a strategy to spread its ideology and fight its enemies covertly at the same

伊朗於是發展出一套可以同時 散布思想、對抗敵人的手段

time.

但首先，伊朗需要成立一支部隊 赴境外尋找協力者

But first it needed a security force to find groups to partner with outside of Iran's

因此在1980年代，伊朗集結了菁英士兵與情報員， 成立「聖城軍」（Quds Force）

borders.

收歸伊朗「伊斯蘭革命衛隊」 （Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps）旗下

So in the 80s, it put together an elite unit of soldiers and spies, called the Quds Force.

該部隊直屬於伊朗最高領袖

They became a part of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of the military that

接著，在黎巴嫩發生的亂局 正好給了他們發揮的機會

answered directly to Iran's Supreme Leader.

1970年代，黎巴嫩國內爆發內戰

Next, it needed an opportunity to unleash this force … and it found one in Lebanon.

雖然美國派出了維和部隊， 但戰亂仍然蔓延到以色列

In the 1970s a civil war was raging in Lebanon.

以色列因此在1982年入侵黎巴嫩

The US had sent troops as peacekeepers but violence was spilling over into Israel.

引發數個黎巴嫩民兵組織的反擊

So in 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon.

部分黎國民兵組織是什葉派教士所領導， 與伊朗的信仰有所連結

Several Lebanese militias fought back.

伊朗於是趁機對他們提供武力、 大量金援與武器協助反擊

Some of these militias were led by Shia clerics, who had ideological ties to Iran.

這些什葉派民兵組織最後合而為一， 成為強大的「真主黨」（Hezbollah）集團

So Iran sent forces, millions of dollars, and tons of weapons to back their fight.

真主黨攻擊入侵黎巴嫩的以軍， 並以飛彈跨境回敬以色列

They eventually merged into one powerful Shia militia called Hezbollah.

真主黨甚至對美國使館、駐軍發動炸襲， 導致304人喪生

They attacked Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and launched rockets over the border into Israel.

最後，真主黨成功了

Hezbollah even bombed the US embassy and barracks killing 304 people.

美軍在1984年撤出黎巴嫩， 以色列則在2000年退出

Eventually, Hezbollah succeeded.

伊朗的兩面策略奏效了

The US troops left Lebanon in 1984 and Israel pulled out in 2000.

伊朗把真主黨扶植成可靠的側翼戰力 對抗以色列與美國

Iran's dual strategy had worked.

透過代理人戰爭，伊朗可以隔岸觀火

It turned Hezbollah into a reliable proxy that could fight Israel and even the US on

也能夠有效對黎巴嫩散布意識形態

its behalf, without inciting conflict on its own borders.

此後聖城軍便如法炮製， 在巴勒斯坦、伊拉克扶持側翼民兵組織

Iran had also found an effective way to export its ideology in Lebanon.

正當聖城軍逐步奠基時， 伊朗軍中有個梟雄正趁勢而起

So Iran's Quds Force started supporting proxy militias in Palestine and Iraq.

1998年，蘇雷曼尼接掌了聖城軍 此後他在幾年之內

As it built the foundation for a network, a charismatic soldier worked his way up the ranks...

就逮到機會，建立起伊朗的影響力

In 1998, Qassem Soleimani took command of the Quds Force and within a few years he had

2003年，美國入侵伊拉克， 推翻海珊的遜尼派政權

an opportunity to firmly establish Iran's influence in Iraq.

這使伊拉克出現權力真空， 讓什葉派組織快速趁虛而入

In 2003, the US invaded and toppled Saddam Hussein and his Sunni-dominated regime.

蘇雷曼尼藉機支持當地什葉派民兵， 發展關係網路

This created a power vacuum in Iraq which was quickly filled by Shias.

成為對抗美國、其他伊拉克勢力的一批勁旅

Solemani used this opportunity to continue to back Shia militias here; growing his network

這成為伊拉克顛簸地歷史中 極為慘烈的一段時期

into a powerful force that fought against the US and other Iraqis.

成千上萬平民無辜喪生， 遭蘇雷曼尼扶持的伊拉克民兵所害

It became one of the most violent periods in Iraq's troubled history.

不過在最後，一個什葉派的政府 取得伊拉克的統治權

Thousands of civilians died, many at the hands of Soleimani's Iraqi militias.

蘇雷曼尼則找到另一個機會 在伊拉克擴張伊朗的勢力

But eventually, a Shia-dominated government took control of Iraq.

這次的契機來自敘利亞

Soleimani had managed to solidify Iran's influence in Iraq when another opportunity

敘利亞在2011年，因群眾抗議升溫導致內戰

arose, this time, in Syria.

反政府勢力企圖推翻獨裁者 阿塞德（Bashar al-Assad）的統治

in Syria In 2011, protests in Syria turned into a civil

此時，蘇雷曼尼策動一批側翼民兵 去支援阿塞德

war, which threatened to overthrow dictator Bashar al-Assad.

受號召的包括黎巴嫩的真主黨、 伊拉克什葉派民兵、甚至伊朗軍人

Suleimani orchestrated a network of proxies to work together to defend Assad.

蘇雷曼尼催生了兩個新的民兵組織， 成員來自阿富汗、巴基斯坦

He called in Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon, Shia-militias from Iraq, and even soldiers

他們全都與敘利亞政府軍合作， 要守護阿塞德政權

from Iran.

敘利亞內戰因而越演越烈， 最後導致多為平民的50多萬人喪生

He also created two new militias with Afghan and Pakistani fighters.

並使1100萬多難民流離失所

All these groups fought alongside the Syrian Army to keep Assad in power.

阿塞德則保住了政權

This intensified a war that eventually killed more than 500,000 people, mostly civilians

蘇雷曼尼成功的將各地的區域衝突 化為有利伊朗的契機

and displaced more than 11 million.

也讓他在國內享有高人氣

But Assad survived.

生前，他可說是伊朗第2重要的人物

Soleimani was successfully exploiting conflicts to advance Iran's interests across the region.

中東越多衝突，就等於給伊朗越多機會

And it was making him a very popular figure in Iran.

後來「伊斯蘭國」（ISIS）在伊拉克挑起戰火， 蘇雷曼尼又號召旗下民兵網路守護伊拉克

He became arguably the second most important person in the country.

並讓伊斯蘭國遠離伊朗

More conflicts gave Iran more opportunities.

蘇雷曼尼藉此蓄積極大影響力， 並持續操控伊拉克內的什葉派民兵組織

When ISIS sparked another war in Iraq, Suleimani again called on his network to defend Iraq

最後這些民兵組織正式受納入伊拉克的軍隊編制

and keep ISIS away from Iran.

當葉門爆發內戰， 伊朗又在當地支援一個反政府組織

By now, he had unprecedented influence and continued to command the Shia militias in

如今，伊朗不再受敵軍環繞， 而是反過頭來包圍敵國

Iraq directly even after they were officially folded into Iraq's military.

蘇雷曼尼在中東控制一大群民兵組織

When a civil war erupted in Yemen, Iran threw its support behind a rebel group.

其中許多極為血腥暴力，殘殺成千上萬條人命

Now instead of being surrounded by enemies, Iran had them surrounded.

被美國、歐盟認定為「恐怖組織」

Suleimani empowered a vast array of militias across the Middle East...

並且弊端叢生

Many of them are excessively violent, and have killed thousands.

例如，黎巴嫩的真主黨與伊拉克民兵組織 都遭到當地國人的抗議

Many are designated terrorist organizations by the US and EU.

抗議民眾卻會遭到這些組織的鎮壓

And many are corrupt.

但對伊朗和支持者來說， 蘇雷曼尼是國民英雄

Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iraqi shia militias, for instance, are the targets of mass protests

他所成立的民兵網路不只幫伊朗抵禦外敵

in those countries.

也成為伊朗輸出信仰的管道

And they're putting down the protests with more violence.

遍及中東多個角落

But to Iran and its supporters, Suleimani's a hero.

這就是為什麼在蘇雷曼尼死後 就立刻被封為殉道者

He helped build a web of militias that not only keeps Iran's enemies in check…

伊朗最高領袖並宣布 蘇雷曼尼的志業將持續下去

But also provides a pipeline for the Islamic ideology that Iran wanted to see in the far

畢竟雖然頭領不在了， 他留下的武裝組織網仍依然存在著

corners of the Middle East.

It's why Iran's Supreme Leader immediately called Soleimani a martyr and also declared

that his efforts and path won't be stopped after his killing.

Even though its commander is gone, the network remains intact.