英闻天下——103 Afghan President Meets Panetta on US Troops Pullout

 　　Afghan President Hamid Karzai has met with US Defense¹ Secretary Leon Panetta at Pentagon.

 

　　Before the meeting, both men sounded an optimistic note about the planned withdrawal² of U.S. troops by 2014, and its impact on Afghan security.

 

　　US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta:

 

　　"After a long and difficult path, we finally are, I believe, at the last chapter of establishing an Afghanistan, a sovereign Afghanistan, that can govern and secure itself for the future."

 

　　Meanwhile, Karzai expressed confidence about his government's ability to provide security.

 

　　"I can assure you Mr. Secretary that Afghanistan will, with the help that you will provide, be able to provide security to its people and to protect its borders so Afghanistan will not ever again be threatened by terrorists from across our borders."

 

　　Karzai is due to meet with President Barack Obama on Friday. The two leaders are expected to discuss the details of the 2014 withdrawal of U.S. troops, particularly whether or not the U.S. plans to withdraw completely.

 

　　The White House said earlier that it has not ruled out a complete withdrawal, once the NATO combat mission ends at the end of 2014.

 

　　But some officials suggest seeking a post-2014 presence in Afghanistan.

 

　　Lawmakers in Afghanistan have expressed outrage³ over the possibility of a complete U.S. withdrawal, warning that such action could trigger a civil war.

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 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。

3 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。