US Lawmakers Request More Security in Afghanistan

 

 

By Dan Robinson

U.S Lawmakers have expressed renewed concern about the security situation in Afghanistan, saying more must be done to safeguard the Afghan people so they can go to the polls on October 9. A congressional hearing Thursday featured some sharp criticism of European contributions to efforts in Afghanistan.
 
For months, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been urging the Bush administration to work harder to bring a larger and quicker response from European allies to needs in Afghanistan.

Specifically, there is dissatisfaction with the speed of NATO contributions to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and what are called Provincial¹ Reconstruction² Teams (PRTs) on the road to NATO's taking over the entire security burden.

Democratic Congressman³ Tom Lantos singles out four European countries: France, Germany, Spain and Belgium for criticism.

Citing what he calls their refusal to participate in training of Iraqi security forces, Mr. Lantos says the problem of reluctance⁴ pertains⁵ to Afghanistan as well.

"This historically unique, and shortsighted, and criminal lack of judgment⁶ extends also to the support for Afghanistan's future," said Mr. Lantos. "Without a greater NATO deployment⁷ to provide proper security, Afghanistan's potentially triumphant⁸ exercise of freedom could be come a tragedy with dozens of terror attacks against polling stations."

Lieutenant⁹ General Walter Sharp of the Military Joint¹⁰ Chiefs of Staff, says the United States is working closely with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the Karzai government on security for the election.

But he acknowledges there are still issues with NATO on deployments aimed at meeting stabilization¹¹ and reconstruction needs. "NATO's next step remains¹² expansion beyond its present operating area in northern and western Afghanistan," said Mr. Sharp. "The alliance must generate forces required for ISAF expansion in western Afghanistan to include another four PRTs. Ultimately, NATO should assume responsibility for security and stability operations in the country. So we are working with them on these challenges to facilitate this goal."

Currently, Germany has about 2000 troops in the security force, and also runs one provincial reconstruction team.

Lieutenant General Sharp said the greatest threat in Afghanistan now remains al-Qaida, Taliban, and other military groups operating along the Pakistan border and in the south.

Another uncomfortable issue for the Bush administration has been rising opium¹³ poppy cultivation¹⁴.

U.S. officials have acknowledged in past hearings that counter-narcotics¹⁵ may be a political priority, but it has not been a main priority for U.S. forces since the overthrow¹⁶ of the Taliban regime.

Republican Congressman Henry Hyde, chairman of the House International Relations Committee, expressed his frustration¹⁷.

"For now the drug lords are getting stronger faster than the Afghan authorities are being built up," he noted¹⁸. "In other words, we're falling further behind. If we wait, we will have to return to Afghanistan in great force once again, because we will be unable to prevent the country from descending¹⁹ into the sort of absolute chaos²⁰ upon which terrorists thrive."

Robert Charles, Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Affairs, says opium figures to be released soon will show yet another increase, adding that a lack of security is hampering²¹ eradication²².

"Without security, crucial eradication efforts cannot rise to the necessary level required to deter²³ heroin²⁴ poppy cultivation," added Mr. Charles.

In his testimony²⁵, Assistant Secretary of Defense²⁶ Peter Rodman reassured²⁷ lawmakers there is a political and military strategy leading to elections in Afghanistan.

In advance of the elections, the United States announced an additional 1,000 troops from the U.S. 82nd Airbone Division to help provide security.

Three more U.S. soldiers died in Afghanistan this week, while more than a dozen were wounded.

Dan Robinson, VOA News, Capitol Hill.

注释：
renewed 重申的
safeguard 捍卫
International Security Assistance Force 国际安全支援部队
Belgium 比利时
reluctance 不情愿，勉强
pertains to 关于
potentially 潜在地
triumphant 胜利的
Lieutenant General 中将
Military Joint Chiefs of Staff 参谋长联席会议
stabilization 稳定性
opium poppy 罂粟
cultivation 种植
counter-narcotic 反毒
House International Relations Committee 众议院国际关系委员会
chaos 混乱
hamper 阻碍
eradication 根除
crucial 至关紧要的
testimony 宣言, 陈述

 

1 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

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 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

4 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

5 pertains   

关于( pertain的第三人称单数 )； 有关； 存在； 适用

参考例句：

• When one manages upward, none of these clear and unambiguous symbols pertains. 当一个人由下而上地管理时，这些明确无误的信号就全都不复存在了。
• Her conduct hardly pertains to a lady. 她的行为与女士身份不太相符。

6 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

7 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

8 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

9 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

10 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

11 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

12 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。

13 opium   

n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的

参考例句：

• That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。

14 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

15 narcotics   

n.麻醉药( narcotic的名词复数 )；毒品；毒

参考例句：

• The use of narcotics by teenagers is a problem in many countries. 青少年服用麻醉药在许多国家中都是一个问题。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Police shook down the club, looking for narcotics. 警方彻底搜查了这个俱乐部，寻找麻醉品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

17 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

18 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

19 descending   

n. 下行 adj. 下降的

参考例句：

• The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。
• The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置，然后再下山。

20 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

21 hampering   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• So fraud on cows and development aid is seriously hampering growth. 因此在牛问题上和发展补助上的诈骗严重阻碍了发展。
• Short-termism, carbon-trading, disputing the science-are hampering the implementation of direct economically-led objectives. 短效主义，出售二氧化碳，进行科学辩论，这些都不利于实现以经济为主导的直接目标。

22 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。

23 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

24 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

25 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

26 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。

27 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》