Bush, Blair to Discuss Iraqi War Reconstruction

Broadcast: Apr 05, 2003

 

The White House says the U.S.-led coalition¹ will play the lead role in immediate² post-war Iraq. Bush administration officials insist, however, there is a place for the U.N. in the process.

When President Bush meets early next week with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the reconstruction³ of Iraq will be high on their agenda. While Britain is America's principal ally on Iraq, there are differences between them on the proper role for the U.N.

Tony Blair wants the U.N. to help administer a post-war Iraq. The Bush administration says it sees a role that goes beyond ¹⁾humanitarian⁴ aid, but stresses the exact function of the U.N. is a matter still open to discussion.

White House National Security Advisor⁵ Condoleezza Rice defends the administration's approach saying as officials were planning for war, they were also planning to keep the peace. She says the U.S.-led coalition intends to have the leading role, having given "life and blood" to the war effort. She says the precise role of the United Nations should be determined⁶ by the coalition, the Iraqis, and the U.N. itself.

During a briefing for reporters, Ms. Rice stressed that Iraq is unique. She said it has an educated public and a ^2）sophisticated ^3）bureaucracy that can play an active role in rebuilding the country. She said a broad-based Iraqi ^4）Interim⁷ Authority could pave the way for an elected government.

Throughout the briefing, she emphasized that Iraqis will be running their own country in short order, saying the goal is to restore sovereignty as soon as possible. She said a plan to put a new American-led Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance in place in the immediate post-war period is designed to quickly pave the way for a local administration.

Ms. Rice said repeatedly that from the start, Iraqis will be involved in the decision-making process. She said there are many ^5）expatriates and exiles with skills who want to return, at least temporarily, to help build a democratic Iraq. She went on to say no one should underestimate the ability of those inside Iraq to identify leaders in their midst who could help run a liberated⁸ country.

As she spoke⁹, President Bush was meeting at the White House with a group of Iraqi exiles. Many experienced atrocities¹⁰ in their homeland, or lost members of their immediate families. White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer said the president felt it was important to share their stories.

"The meeting with the free Iraqis and the Iraqi-Americans today is a reminder¹¹ to people about how much people care about freedom and liberty and how the voices of those who are fortunate enough to have left Iraq can speak freely without being tortured or killed," he said.

Those who participated in the meeting said they were not asked if they would like to take part in an interim authority. But several said they would be willing to return to Iraq if they thought it would help their homeland.

Paula Wolfson VOA news, White House.

 

1)    humanitarian aid人道主义救助

2)    sophisticated [sE5fistikeitid]adj.诡辩的, 久经世故的

3)    bureaucracy [bjuE5rCkrEsi]n.官僚,官僚机构

4)    Interim Authority过渡政府

5)    expatriates [eks5pAtrieit] n.亡命国外者

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 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

4 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

5 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

6 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

7 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

8 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

9 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。

10 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。