US to Deploy More Troops in Afghanistan（在线收听）

US to Deploy More Troops in Afghanistan

Alex Belida

Elements of a 2,200-strong Marine expeditionary unit currently aboard ships in the Gulf will be sent into Afghanistan to participate in operations there.

General Richard Myers, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, says the decision to bolster the 11,000 troops now in Afghanistan by sending in a Marine contingent reflects a desire to improve security ahead of planned elections.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, General Myers says another reason for dispatching the additional force is to assist in efforts to tackle the remaining pockets of Taleban and al-Qaida resistance in the country.

General Myers does not say how many Marines from the 2,200-strong force now aboard amphibious vessels in the Gulf will go ashore, nor will he specify when they will arrive or how long they will stay.

But Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld tells reporters at the same briefing the effort to eliminate al-Qaida is going well.

"It's going well. There's just no question but that added pressure is being put al-Qaida network in Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere around the world and that's a good thing."

However Mr. Rumsfeld declines to say whether U.S. forces are any closer to capturing fugitive al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

U.S. forces in Afghanistan have stepped up anti-Taleban and anti-al-Qaida operations in the mountainous border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of Operation Mountain Storm.

The Marine unit now head to Afghanistan has been trained for special operations missions. The Marines are backed by attack helicopters and Harrier fighter jets.

注释:

Marine [mE5ri:n] adj. 海军的

expeditionary unit  远征部队

Gulf [^Qlf] n. 海湾

Afghanistan [Af5^AnistAn] n. 阿富汗，位于亚洲中部偏西南的内陆国家。

general [5dVenErEl] n. 将军

bolster [5bEulstE] v. 支持

contingent [kEn5tindVEnt] n. 分遣队

Pentagon [5pentE^En] n. 五角大楼

dispatch [dis5pAtF] vt. 分派，派遣

tackle [5tAkl] vt. 处理，解决

Taleban 塔利班，阿富汗的武装集团，其全称为“阿富汗伊斯兰学生运动组织”。

al-Qaida 基地组织

amphibious [Am5fibiEs] adj. 水陆两用的

ashore [E5FC:] adv. 上岸，登陆

decline [di5klain] v. 拒绝，婉拒

capturing [5kAptFEriN] adj. 正在追捕的

fugitive [5fju:dVitiv] adj. 逃亡的

operation [7CpE5reiFEn] n. 军事行动

helicopter [5helikCptE] n. 直升机

Harrier fighter jets  英国“鹞”(hamer)式战斗机，世界上第一种实用的垂直/短距起落飞机。