Training of Iraqi Security Force Seen as Key to January Elec

 

By Nick Simeone
 
Iraq's interim¹ Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is holding firm to his plans for the country's first free elections to happen in January. But U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan says he doubts whether the vote can take place if the current level of violence does not diminish. Restoring control to areas of Iraq held by insurgents² is increasingly becoming the focus of U.S. and Iraqi forces.

A senior U.S. military official tells VOA that security will be an absolute necessity if elections set for January are going to be seen as successful in areas of Iraq now largely dominated by Sunni insurgents. Some areas such as the city of Fallujah, have been increasingly targeted by American air strikes in recent days, attacks that the U.S.-led coalition³ says have been aimed at suspected terrorist hideouts, but which have killed a number of civilians⁴.

At the same time, the official says U.S. military officers back from Iraq are growing increasingly concerned about whether American and Iraqi forces can, secure areas now in the hands of insurgents without having to mount a full U.S-led military assault. In April, that kind of warfare⁵ led to days of deadly urban combat between insurgents and American Marines in Fallujah, which still remains⁶ out of Iraqi or coalition control.

Part of the problem in retaking areas held by Sunni militants⁷ are delays in getting Iraqi security forces properly trained, equipped and ready to take charge. In Baghdad, U.S. military spokesman Major Jay Antonelli of the Marines calls the issue a priority for the U.S. command.

"We'll bring our best effort forward to try to get these guys trained and up to speed where they can take on and secure the area by themselves," he said. "That's our goal."

Earlier this month, the Pentagon's top General, Richard Myers, told reporters it will likely be close to the end of the year, perhaps just weeks before Iraq's scheduled elections, before a sufficient number of Iraqis are trained and able to take a lead combat role in areas of the country now in the hands of insurgents.

"You want to have a lasting⁸ solution. At least that's what the Iraqi government wants," he said. "By December we're going to have a substantial number of Iraqi security forces equipped, trained and led to conduct the kind of operations I was talking about."

But former Pentagon intelligence official and national security expert Anthony Cordesman doubts that goal can be met before the middle of next year at the earliest.

"That's one reason that Ambassador (John) Negroponte has had to ask for the rapid reprogramming of $1.8 billion in aid funds to help with this process," he said. "I think there are going to be many areas where the elections frankly⁹ cannot be held with security."

The Pentagon says just under half of the more than 230,000 Iraqi security recruits are now fully¹⁰ trained, equipped and on duty. Defense¹¹ officials say initially¹², fewer Iraqi security forces were thought to have been needed, one reason, they say, that more have not been put on the job quicker.

At the Pentagon, Nick Simeone, VOA News.

注释：
interim 临时的
diminish 减少
insurgent 叛乱分子
Sunni（伊斯兰）逊尼派教徒
hideout 隐匿处
assault 袭击
Baghdad 巴格达
Pentagon 五角大楼
frankly 老实地说
recruit 新兵

 

1 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。

2 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

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 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。

5 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

8 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

9 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

10 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

11 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。

12 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。