2006年VOA标准英语-US Congressional Report Highlights Intelligence

By Michael Bowman
Washington
24 August 2006

A U.S. congressional committee has issued a report alleging¹ major gaps in U.S. intelligence on Iran's nuclear program and calling for a concerted effort to improve America's information-gathering capabilities².  Most experts on Iran agree with the basic premise³ of the report, but some question its underlying⁴ motives⁵.

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The House Intelligence Committee's 29-page report is titled "Recognizing Iran as a Strategic Threat: An Intelligence Challenge for the United States."  It summarizes long-held suspicions by Western nations about Iran's nuclear program, including concerns that Tehran is hiding the full scope of its nuclear activities and working to develop missiles capable of reaching Europe.

The report says major gaps exist in U.S. knowledge of Iranian nuclear, biological, and chemical programs. It says, "The United States must collect more and better intelligence on a wide range of Iranian issues …The national security community must dedicate the personnel and resources necessary to better assess Iran's plans, capabilities and intentions."

That the United States would benefit from greater intelligence on Iran's nuclear ambitions is beyond question, according to former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Non-proliferation Mark Fitzpatrick, who currently directs the non-proliferation program at Britain's International Institute for Strategic Studies.

"I think it would be helpful to know more. It would be great to have more human [intelligence] assets," he said.

Fitzpatrick notes that the International Atomic Energy Agency has filed detailed⁶ reports on Iran's nuclear program - at least the portion of it that is openly acknowledged by Tehran.

"What is not known is whether Iran has a clandestine⁷ parallel [nuclear] program," he said.  "There are many indications of some military connections to the nuclear program, and it would be very good to know more about those military connections. So, yes, there are big gaps [in what is known]."

On the other hand, Fitzpatrick says far more is known about Iran's nuclear activities than those of North Korea. But he adds that some of the worst fears about Iran's nuclear program have been fueled by statements from Iranian dissidents and exiles, and cannot be accepted blindly as fact.

Other former U.S. officials concur⁸ on the need for better intelligence on Iran. Gary Sick, who served on the National Security Council under Presidents Gerald Ford⁹, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, says the need is particularly acute in the wake of intelligence failures about Iraq's programs for weapons of mass destruction in the run-up to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

But Sick, who currently teaches Middle Eastern affairs at Columbia University in New York, says the House Intelligence Committee report released Wednesday is riddled¹⁰ with inaccuracies, including a statement that "Iran is currently enriching uranium to weapons grade" at the country's Natanz nuclear facility.

"Well, that site is actually under inspection¹¹ by the IAEA, and it has produced thus far probably less than a gram of enriched uranium, and that enriched uranium is not at weapons grade. They [the committee] are simply making statements that are not true," he said.

Sick is quick to add that there is no question that Iran can be seen as a threat and that there is ample cause to be suspicious of Iran's nuclear intentions. But he notes that the House Intelligence Committee report makes no mention of IAEA reports based on actual inspections¹² conducted in Iran that revealed little incontrovertible evidence of non-peaceful nuclear intent.

He says he fears that America's elected officials may be pressuring the intelligence community to produce information that conforms with U.S. policy objectives - in effect, repeating the dynamic that led to faulty assumptions about Iraq's development of weapons of mass destruction in 2003.

"The report gives, I think, an exaggerated view of what Iran is actually doing, and then it turns around and criticizes the intelligence services for not coming to the same conclusion that they have come to," Sick said. "And that looks very much like the kind of process that we had prior to the invasion of Iraq, and the one that came in for such tremendous criticism after we went into Iraq. I would really hate to see us going down that road a second time."

VOA sought comment from the House Intelligence Committee as well as the offices of ranking committee members. Calls were not returned.

Wednesday's committee report concludes that: "The U.S. Intelligence Community believes Iran could have a nuclear weapon sometime in the beginning to the middle of the next decade. The timetable for an Iranian program depends on a wide range of factors - such as the acquisition of key components¹³ and materials, successful testing, outside assistance, if any, and the impact of domestic and international political pressures."

Just how U.S. intelligence on Iran should be improved is a matter of debate. At Britain's Royal Institute for International Affairs, research Director Rosemary Hollis says the United States is hobbled by the lack of diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran, noting that the United States "simply does not have the access." 

1 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

2 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

3 premise   

n.前提；v.提论，预述

参考例句：

• Let me premise my argument with a bit of history.让我引述一些史实作为我立论的前提。
• We can deduce a conclusion from the premise.我们可以从这个前提推出结论。

4 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

5 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

6 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

7 clandestine   

adj.秘密的，暗中从事的

参考例句：

• She is the director of clandestine operations of the CIA.她是中央情报局秘密行动的负责人。
• The early Christians held clandestine meetings in caves.早期的基督徒在洞穴中秘密聚会。

8 concur   

v.同意，意见一致，互助，同时发生

参考例句：

• Wealth and happiness do not always concur.财富与幸福并非总是并存的。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done.我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。

9 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

10 riddled   

adj.布满的；充斥的；泛滥的v.解谜，出谜题(riddle的过去分词形式)

参考例句：

• The beams are riddled with woodworm. 这些木梁被蛀虫蛀得都是洞。
• The bodies of the hostages were found riddled with bullets. 在人质的尸体上发现了很多弹孔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

12 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。