北约敦促卡尔扎伊签军队协议

 　　北约敦促卡尔扎伊签军队协议

        BRUSSELS — NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels are urging Afghan President Hamid Karzai to sign a security pact¹ with the United States that would allow foreign troops to remain in Afghanistan beyond the end of the NATO combat mission there next year.  President Karzai wants to delay that signing until after Afghan elections.

　　NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance is hoping to stay in Afghanistan into 2015 but needs President Karzai's "timely" signature on a security pact outlining the terms of a smaller advisory² force.

　　Rasmussen told reporters at NATO headquarters he is concerned that without such a training mission, there could be a negative impact on security and financial aid to Afghanistan.  He says the trans-Atlantic alliance is not trying to impose anything on the government in Kabul, just offering help if it is wanted.

　　"NATO is not an occupation force.  We intend to help Afghanistan.  And of course it is a precondition that we get an invitation.  And an invitation should be accompanied by a proper legal framework," said Rasmussen.

　　President Karzai is holding up the legal framework that would govern the presence of U.S. troops beyond 2014, saying such an accord should not be signed until after his country's elections next April.  Karzai has also added conditions to a deal he negotiated with Secretary Kerry: he is now calling for the release of all Afghan prisoners from U.S. detention³ facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

　　Kerry says that, given what he calls "the amount of sacrifice" made by U.S. troops in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama does not appreciate "that this somehow is being left in doubt at this critical moment."

　　"This is not fooling around.  This is serious business.  There are over 50 nations who are engaged here through NATO in trying to help Afghanistan.  And those nations have budget cycles.  Those nations have planning requirements," said Kerry.

　　U.S. and NATO officials say they need a decision by the end of the year to plan for either the complete withdrawal⁴ of all 84,000 troops over the next 12 months or the establishment of a smaller training force of between 8,000 and 12,000 soldiers.

　　"All of our colleagues here today voiced a desire for their planning purposes and for the confidence that comes with the knowledge that we are moving in the same direction, that they all voiced hope that this can be done sooner, not later," said Kerry.

　　NATO foreign ministers and officials from partner countries meet Wednesday with the acting⁵ Afghan foreign minister, Zarar Ahmad Moqbel, and with Afghan Interior Minister Mohammad Omar Daudzai to discuss the pending⁶ security pact.

　　Kerry then leaves Belgium for meetings in Moldova before continuing on to Israel.

1 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

2 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

3 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

4 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

5 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

6 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。