2006年VOA标准英语-Iraqi Leader Confident Multinational Troops Can

By Stephanie Ho
Washington
27 August 2006

Iraq's prime minister says he believes his country's forces will soon be able to maintain security in Iraq without the help of coalition¹ forces. In a television interview Sunday, he indicated Iraqi forces could be ready to take over security duties in less than a year.

---------

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki  
  
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told CNN's Late Edition Iraqi troops are ready to start taking on more responsibility.

"We are on a level of strength that we could, if the multinational² forces want to lessen³ its presence, it could do that because we could [continue] with the rest of the operation, and have stability and security to protect the democratic process," said Nouri al-Maliki.

He said his government aims to shorten the length of time multinational troops stay in Iraq. Iraqi forces have already begun taking over security in some Iraqi provinces, and are slated⁴ to take control of more provinces by the end of this year.

"We will take over and we will assess our need, whether they need these forces or not, and whether the Iraqi security forces were able to take over the security responsibility," he said.

He refrained from giving a definite timeline, but added that he expects the Iraqi forces to have full responsibility for all of Iraq in less than one year.

When asked about Iraqi health ministry⁵ statistics that show a steady rise in the number of Iraqi civilian⁶ deaths from January to July of this year, the prime minister said he does not believe that means that violence in Iraq is increasing or that the country is facing civil war.

"We're not in civil war," insisted Iraq's prime minister. "Iraq will never be in a civil war."

 
Wreckage⁷ of a minibus outside the Palestine Hotel in the Sadoun neighborhood of Baghdad, August 27, 2006
  
Iraqi officials say more than 3,400 civilians⁸ died in violence in July, making it the deadliest month for Iraqis. On Sunday, bombings in Baghdad, Baquba, Basra and Kirkuk claimed nearly 30 lives.

The prime minister's appearance on CNN came one day after he secured an agreement with hundreds of Shi'ite and Sunni tribal⁹ leaders to unite against sectarian violence.

The U.S. military says a U.S. soldier was killed Saturday night when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb southeast of Baghdad. At least 2,600 U.S. troops have died in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion began in March 2003.

1 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。

2 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

3 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。

4 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

7 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

8 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。

9 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。