VOA慢速英语20060318a

IN THE NEWS - After Three Years, Iraq Still a Major Issue in American PoliticsBy Shelley Gollust

Broadcast: Saturday, March 18, 2006

I'm Steve Ember with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

Three years ago, on March nineteenth, President Bush ordered American-led coalition¹ forces to invade Iraq. One goal was to free the Iraqi people. The other was to prevent Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from using weapons of great destruction. The United States believed Iraq had such weapons.

The coalition forces gained a quick military victory and the Iraqi government was ousted². But weapons of great destruction were never found.

More than two thousand three hundred American troops have died in Iraq in the past three years. The Bush administration says at least thirty thousand Iraqis have also died. Some reports say many more have been killed.

Today, President Bush says the goal of the military operation is to protect American security by turning Iraq into a democracy. He adds that Iraq has gone from dictatorship to freedom, to self-rule, to a constitution, and to national elections.

But gaining a secure peace in Iraq has been difficult. Deaths and injuries to American troops continue. So do attacks against Iraqi civilians³ and violence among religious extremists.

The United States has been training the Iraqi military and police so that they could accept more responsibility for security operations. But some experts say training alone is not enough to provide security. They say Iraq needs a government that is both effective and permanent.

Shiite and Kurdish coalitions⁴ won the most seats in parliament in the Iraqi elections last December. But the coalitions lack the clear majority needed to govern. The United States ambassador in Iraq has proposed creation of a national unity⁵ government that would include Sunni representatives. But this proposal has been met with resistance.

President Bush has spoken around the country to increase support for his policy in Iraq. Last month, Mister Bush said his administration is fixing what has not worked. He said the administration would take necessary steps to make Iraq able to defend itself, and serve as a strong ally in the war on terror.

But recent public opinion studies suggest that American support for the effort in Iraq is decreasing. Several opinion studies show that most Americans now oppose the war in Iraq. They do not believe the war effort was worth the cost. And, they fear Iraq may be close to civil war.




Iraqi and U.S. soldiers exit a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in support of Operation Swarmer, near Samarra

Experts say Iraq is still the most important issue in American politics today. This could affect the final three years of Mister Bush's presidency⁶. Political experts say the public's concerns about Iraq have raised questions about the president's leadership. The president's Republican Party hopes the situation in Iraq will become more secure before the American congressional elections in November.

Experts say they expect the opposition⁷ Democratic Party to gain seats in the elections, at least in part, because of public dissatisfaction about the situation in Iraq.

IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Steve Ember.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

3 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

4 coalitions   

结合体，同盟( coalition的名词复数 )； （两党或多党）联合政府

参考例句：

• History testifies to the ineptitude of coalitions in waging war. 历史昭示我们，多数国家联合作战，其进行甚为困难。
• All the coalitions in history have disintegrated sooner or later. 历史上任何联盟迟早都垮台了。

5 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

6 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

7 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。