2006年VOA标准英语-US Commander in Iraq Hopes Political Progr

By Al Pessin
Pentagon
21 April 2006

US airman trains new Iraqi army recruits, in Kirkuk   
  
A U.S. military commander north of Baghdad has expressed the hope that the apparent progress toward forming a new Iraqi government will have an impact on the fight against the insurgency¹ in his area.  The commander spoke² via satellite with reporters at the Pentagon.

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Colonel David Gray says there is a complex web of ethnic³ and political tension around the city of Kirkuk and in neighboring provinces.

"It's an amalgamation⁴ of a knife fight, a gun fight, and three-dimensional chess," he said.  "And that assumes that the enemy plays by our rules, and he doesn't,"

Colonel Gray says the insurgency in his area is largely made up of disgruntled members of the former regime, but in the city of Kirkuk, he says, the tension comes largely from ethnic conflict among Kurdish, Turkmen and Arab residents.  He says the delay in forming a central government after the election in December has made the situation worse, and he hopes the apparent breakthrough on Thursday will lead to the formation of a government soon.

"The longer the government is not seated, the more the insurgents⁵ try to drive wedges between the politicians trying to seat that government, and the people, undermining the legitimacy⁶ of the institutions that are up and working," he added.  "They are at work, and they are using both their terrorist tactics, as well as propaganda and information campaigns."

The colonel says, in addition to attacks, mainly using roadside bombs, insurgents try to intimidate⁷ members of the new Iraqi security forces by threatening their families.  He says the insurgents also coerce⁸ government officials, and conduct campaigns of kidnappings and murders.

The colonel says the delay in forming a government has affected⁹ the ability of local governments to provide services to the people, services, which would increase public support for the legitimate¹⁰ authorities.

"In terms of getting monies, and carrying on the daily business of governance, at times, there appears to be kind of a wait and see [attitude], until the government gets seated, before they take action," he explained.

Colonel Gray also reports that Iraqi forces have the primary responsibility for security in much of his area, including all of Sulimanya Province and part of Salah a-Din Province.  And, he says, by the end of this month, an Iraqi battalion¹¹ will take responsibility for security around Kirkuk, although not yet inside the city. 

In the areas where Iraqi troops have control, they work with American trainers, who can call in U.S. assets as needed, including intelligence, supplies, heavy artillery¹² and military aircraft.

Colonel Gray says aggressive efforts by both Iraqi and American troops have largely prevented the area's ethnic tensions from boiling over into more widespread violence.  He says control of Iraq's oil revenue makes the stakes particularly high.

"This is all a part of the game to figure out, who is going to control Kirkuk, ultimately, in the future," he said.

Colonel Gray says Iraq's new government is supposed to conduct a census¹³ in the area to determine whether it will be part of the autonomous¹⁴ Kurdish region, and he expects extensive efforts by all sides to manipulate the outcome of that census.
 
 

1 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

2 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。

3 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

4 amalgamation   

n.合并，重组；；汞齐化

参考例句：

• We look towards the amalgamation of some of the neighborhood factories.我们指望合并一些里弄工厂。
• The proposed amalgamation of the two institutes has mow fallen through.这两个研究所打算合并的事现在已经落空了。

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 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

7 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

8 coerce   

v.强迫，压制

参考例句：

• You can't coerce her into obedience.你不能强制她服从。
• Do you think there is any way that we can coerce them otherwise?你认为我们有什么办法强迫他们不那样吗？

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

11 battalion   

n.营；部队；大队(的人)

参考例句：

• The town was garrisoned by a battalion.该镇由一营士兵驻守。
• At the end of the drill parade,the battalion fell out.操练之后，队伍解散了。

12 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

13 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

14 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。