US Military Prepares to Pull Back from Fallujah

 

Michael Bowman

U.S. military officials in Iraq say some Marine¹ units are preparing to pull back from positions in the strife-ridden city of Fallujah, to coincide with the arrival of Iraqi security forces commanded by former officers of Saddam Hussein's disbanded army. U.S. warplanes mounted strikes in Fallujah for a third consecutive² day as 10 U.S. servicemen were killed elsewhere in the country.

U.S. military officials deny that any full-scale withdrawal³ of Marines from Fallujah is under way. Rather, they say U.S. forces are being "repositioned" in and around Fallujah to allow Iraqi security forces to assume a lead role in efforts to quell⁴ an uprising provoked by an estimated one-to-two thousand die-hard insurgents⁵.

Saib al-Gilani is one of several intermediaries who have overseen⁷ tenuous⁹ negotiations¹⁰ between U.S. forces and the insurgents that, at one point, yielded a fragile ceasefire.

"We have heard that the American troops are going to withdraw their powers from Fallujah and this, if it would happen, would be a very good sign, an indicator¹¹ of peaceful progress," he said. "I was a member of the first delegation¹² that went to Fallujah for negotiations with the fighters there and with the people in Fallujah. We insisted from the beginning that peace should become a language and there is no general or popular punishment just because of a few aggressive actions from somebody."

In spite of the apparent easing of the U.S. military presence in Fallujah, U.S. warplanes continued to strike targets in the city believed to be under the control of the insurgents. Coalition¹³ forces hope to stabilize¹⁴ Iraq's security situation ahead of a planned June 30 transfer of power.

Elsewhere in Iraq, the death toll¹⁵ for U.S. troops continues to mount. Eight U.S. soldiers were killed and several others wounded in a car bombing near Baghdad Thursday, while separate attacks on U.S. convoys¹⁶ in Baghdad and Baquba left two other U.S. soldiers dead. The violence raised the death toll for U.S. forces in Iraq to 126 in April, the highest monthly total since the occupation began.

Meanwhile, a public opinion poll of nearly 3500 Iraqis showed most are glad that Saddam Hussein was ousted¹⁸, but that many have serious misgivings²⁰ about the continued presence of U.S. troops in their country. The CNN/USA Today Gallup poll showed a slim majority of 51 percent, saying that they and their families are better off now than they were before last year's U.S.-led invasion, but 57 percent said coalition forces should leave Iraq "immediately," and 58 percent did not approve of the tactics and conduct of U.S. troops.
注释：
Marine [mE5ri:n] n. 海军
strife-ridden adj. 遭受冲突的
disband [dis5bAnd] v. 解散，裁减
warplane [5wR:pleIn] n. 军用机
mount [maunt] vt. 增长
strike [straik] n. 打击
quell [kwel] v. 镇压
uprising [5Qp5raiziN] n. 起义，升起
provoke [prE5vEuk] vt. 激怒，惹起
die-hard 顽固的
intermediary [7intE5mi:diEri] n. 仲裁者，调解者
oversee⁸ [5EuvE5si:] v. 监视，视察
tenuous [5tenjuEs] adj. 微弱的，无力的
insurgent⁶ [in5sE:dVEnt] n. 起义者
fragile [5frAdVail] adj. 易碎的，脆的
delegation [7deli5^eiFEn] n. 代表团
death toll n. 死亡人数
Baghdad [5bA^dAd] n. 巴格达，伊拉克首都。
convoy¹⁷ [5kCnvCi] n. 护送，护卫
oust¹⁹ [aust] vt. 驱逐，取代
misgiving²¹ [mis5^iviN] n. 疑惧，疑虑
CNN abbr. Cable News Network 美国有线新闻网络，以提供即时电视新闻报导而闻名。
Gallup poll 盖洛普民意测验，指一种民意测验方法。
slim [slim] adj. 稍微的，薄的
tactics [5tAktiks] n. 战术，策略

 

1 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

2 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

3 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

4 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。

5 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

6 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

7 overseen   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was overseen stealing the letters. 他被人撞见在偷信件。 来自辞典例句
• It will be overseen by ThomasLi, director of IBM China Research Laboratory. 该实验室由IBM中国研究院院长李实恭(ThomasLi)引导。 来自互联网

8 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

9 tenuous   

adj.细薄的，稀薄的，空洞的

参考例句：

• He has a rather tenuous grasp of reality.他对现实认识很肤浅。
• The air ten miles above the earth is very tenuous.距离地面十公里的空气十分稀薄。

10 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

11 indicator   

n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。

12 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

13 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。

14 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

15 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

16 convoys   

n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队

参考例句：

• Truck convoys often stop over for lunch here. 车队经常在这里停下来吃午饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A UN official said aid programs will be suspended until there's adequate protection for relief convoys. 一名联合国官员说将会暂停援助项目，直到援助车队能够得到充分的保护为止。 来自辞典例句

17 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

18 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。

19 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

20 misgivings   

n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧

参考例句：

• I had grave misgivings about making the trip. 对于这次旅行我有过极大的顾虑。
• Don't be overtaken by misgivings and fear. Just go full stream ahead! 不要瞻前顾后， 畏首畏尾。甩开膀子干吧！ 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

21 misgiving   

n.疑虑，担忧，害怕

参考例句：

• She had some misgivings about what she was about to do.她对自己即将要做的事情存有一些顾虑。
• The first words of the text filled us with misgiving.正文开头的文字让我们颇为担心。