No Preference for American Companies in Iraq Reconstruction,

Broadcast: Mar¹ 28, 2003

 

A senior U.S. official has called on European countries to put aside their disagreements over war in Iraq and cooperate with the United States in the post-war reconstruction² of the country. The United States also denies that American companies will capture most of these reconstruction contracts.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Alan Larson criticized recent European complaints that U.S. companies were being awarded the major Iraqi reconstruction contracts.

Mr. Larson - undersecretary of economic, business and agricultural affairs - told a news conference in Paris that discussing contracts was misplaced at a time when war is still raging.

"The contracts that are being widely discussed are contracts that use U.S. taxpayer³ money to provide very quick emergency rehabilitation⁴ services," he said, "including activities like reopening ports so that food can come in, re-establishing electric power, putting out oil fires so that the natural resources of Iraq do not go up in smoke, literally⁵."

Mr. Larson said choosing American companies to handle these initial efforts was quicker and more efficient. In recent days, multi-million-dollar contracts have been awarded to large U.S. firms. But Mr. Larson said the U.S. government is open to foreign bidders⁶, both now and in the future.

The U.S. undersecretary's remarks follow meetings in Brussels and Paris ahead of a June G-8 summit in Evian, France. Transatlantic disagreement lingers over war on Iraq, and G-8 members such as Germany, Russia and France have all condemned⁷ the U.S.-led action.

Europeans and Americans are also at odds⁸ over who will pay for Iraq's post-war reconstruction. However, Mr. Larson characterized the mood between U.S. and European officials this week as "very positive."

"I think the best way to deal with the difficult feelings that exist on both sides of the Atlantic is to get on with the work at hand," he said. "There's a lot of that work, and it isn't going to get accomplished⁹ unless Europe and the United States work together."

Mr. Larson did not directly address concerns by France, Germany and other war critics that the United Nations should play the leading role in Iraq's reconstruction. Specific arrangements must be worked out over time, he said, but the international community should cooperate as it now does in rebuilding Afghanistan.

He said the U.N. ¹⁾oil-for-food program could be used for short term humanitarian¹⁰ aid to Iraq. Separately, he pointed¹¹ out that both the United States and the European Union have ²⁾earmarked more than $100 million for immediate¹² humanitarian relief.

In the longer term, Mr. Larson also suggested, the so-called "Paris club" of creditors¹³ might address Iraq's sizable debt.

Lisa Bryant for VOA news, Paris.

 

1)    oil-for-food program石油换食品计划

2)    earmark[5iEmB:k]v. 特别指定(款项等的)用途

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 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。

3 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

4 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

6 bidders   

n.出价者，投标人( bidder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Bidders should proceed only if they intend on using a PayPal account to complete payment. Bidders的唯一形式，应继续只当他们在使用贝宝帐户，以完成付款打算。 来自互联网
• The other bidders for the contract complained that it had not been a fair contest. 其他竞标人抱怨说该合同的竞标不公平。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

8 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

9 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

10 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。

11 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

12 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。

13 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》