Some Iraqi Troops Showing Signs of Not Wanting to Fight

Broadcast: Mar¹ 18 2003

 

There are signs some Iraqi troops are interested in surrender even before U.S. forces launch an expected invasion.

A senior ¹⁾Pentagon official said there are indications some Iraqi troops are not interested in fighting U.S. forces and will surrender or possibly even change sides.

The official, speaking on condition of ^2）anonymity², gives no details and cautions that the information is not firm. He declines to characterize the numbers of Iraqi troops who might be involved.

But word of the potential ^3）capitulation of Iraqi forces follows President Bush's broadcast appeal to the Iraqi military (in his words) "to act with honor and protect your country by permitting the peaceful entry of coalition³ forces." Mr. Bush went on to urge every member of the Iraqi military and intelligence services not to fight for what he termed "a dying regime that is not worth your own life."

Defense⁴ officials have in recent weeks used a variety of means ranging from ^4）airdropped leaflets and radio broadcasts to cell-phone calls and computer e-mails to urge Iraqi soldiers and especially their commanders not to oppose a U.S.-led invasion.

Some of the messages have spelled out how troops can specifically signal their desire not to fight. One leaflet dropped over Iraq depicts⁵ a tank poised⁶ to fire that is being attacked by fighters. It warns (taking now), "take an offensive posture⁷ and you will be destroyed." It goes on to show a second picture in which the tank's barrel is pointing down and backwards⁸ and says those who do not take an offensive posture will have nothing to fear.

Defense officials indicate that the U.S. assault, if and when it starts, will be massive and intended to shock the country into submission⁹. They stress the attack will be strictly¹⁰ focused on government and military targets with, what one official describes, as a substantial amount of ordnance¹¹ being used in the first 48 hours.

The senior official who spoke¹² to VOA indicates the attack will focus on Baghdad, that was "the center of gravity" in Iraq.

But the official concedes one of the critical, but unknown, variables of any military action will be how the Iraqi people react, even though he says care will be taken to avoid civilian¹³ casualties and damage.

Alex Belida VOA news, Pentagon.

 

1)    Pentagon [5pentE^En]n.五角大楼

2)    anonymity [7AnE5nimiti]n.匿名, 作者不明(或不详)

3)    capitulation [kE7pitju5leiFEn]n.(有条件的)投降, 投降条约

4)    airdrop leaflets空投传单

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 anonymity   

n.the condition of being anonymous

参考例句：

• Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity. 为了姓名保密，书中的人用的都是化名。
• Our company promises to preserve the anonymity of all its clients. 我们公司承诺不公开客户的姓名。

3 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。

4 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。

5 depicts   

描绘，描画( depict的第三人称单数 )； 描述

参考例句：

• The book vividly depicts French society of the 1930s. 这本书生动地描绘了20 世纪30 年代的法国社会。
• He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively. 他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。

6 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

7 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

8 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

9 submission   

n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出

参考例句：

• The defeated general showed his submission by giving up his sword.战败将军缴剑表示投降。
• No enemy can frighten us into submission.任何敌人的恐吓都不能使我们屈服。

10 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

11 ordnance   

n.大炮，军械

参考例句：

• She worked in an ordnance factory during the war.战争期间她在一家兵工厂工作。
• Shoes and clothing for the army were scarce,ordnance supplies and drugs were scarcer.军队很缺鞋和衣服，武器供应和药品就更少了。

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。