2006年VOA标准英语-US Military Struggles to Quell Violence in Iraq

By Alisha Ryu
Baghdad
04 September 2006
 

convoy1 of US soldiers leave in their armored vehicles from Abu Ghraib prison, on the outskirts2 of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, September 2, 2006" src="/upimg/allimg/070418/0932320.jpg" width="210" border="0" /> A convoy of US soldiers leave in their armored vehicles from Abu Ghraib prison, on the outskirts of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, September 2, 2006

Earlier this month, the U.S. military deployed³ several thousand extra combat troops to flashpoint districts in the troubled Iraqi capital of Baghdad. The security operations are part of a joint⁴ U.S.-Iraqi effort to halt escalating⁵ sectarian violence and shore up support for Iraq's struggling government. 

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Huddled⁶ inside the belly⁷ of a Stryker combat vehicle, 20-year-old U.S. Army Specialist Zack Sherman quickly checks his weapon one last time as the 17-metric ton vehicle rumbles⁸ into eastern Adamiyah District.

The predominantly Sunni Arab district is one of the worst violence-wracked areas of Baghdad. In July, U.S. and Iraqi security forces recorded more than 20 attacks against them on the streets here, most involving large roadside bombs.

Specialist Sherman takes a deep breath and says he tries not to think about the dangers.

"There is no point in getting amped up or getting yourself strung out for no reason," he said.

Sherman may be taking things in stride, but this is the last place he and nearly 4,000 other soldiers attached to the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team had hoped to be right now.

The brigade had just completed a year-long tour in northern and western Iraq. Some, like Sherman, had already returned to their home base in the state of Alaska for a few weeks when they were ordered back to Iraq in late July for another four months of combat duty.

This time, the troops were told to go to Baghdad, where they and their specially-designed armored vehicles were needed to help Iraqi security forces round up troublemakers⁹ and conduct door-to-door searches for weapons in various neighborhoods.

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime three years ago, the U.S. military has conducted similar sweeps many times before. But those sweeps generally targeted insurgents¹⁰ and terrorists.

This operation, dubbed¹¹ Together Forward, is the second phase of an operation that began two months ago and is largely aimed at convincing Iraqis that the country's nascent¹² security forces are willing and capable of stopping the sectarian violence which has torn apart entire communities.

"Hello. How are you today? Pardon the intrusion into your homes and neighborhoods this morning," said Lieutenant¹³ Colonel John Norris.

On this day, the commander of the Stryker Brigade's 4th Battalion¹⁴, 23rd Infantry¹⁵, Lieutenant Colonel John Norris, tries to assure nervous Sunni residents in Adamiyah that help is on the way.

"We are working in cooperation with the Iraqi army, the Iraqi national police, the Iraqi police, trying to clear it of the sectarian violence and make your neighborhood safe for you and your family," he said.

Nearly all of the residents politely invite Iraqi and American soldiers to search their homes. A sizable number of Sunni Arabs serve in Iraq's new army and there appears to be some acceptance of the army in districts like Adamiyah.

But the cold stares given to the Iraqi police speak volumes about the growing sectarian divide in Iraq.

An elderly Sunni man, who would only identify himself as Omar, tells VOA that he has seen Shi'ite death squads¹⁶ coming to Adamiyah with the help of the Shi'ite-dominated Iraqi police.

Adamiyah is home to many people, who received special privileges from Saddam, who is a Sunni Arab. Residents, like Omar, say Shi'ites, who were brutally¹⁷ oppressed by Saddam, are seeking revenge.

Omar says when Adamiyah was under curfew a few weeks ago, the Iraqi national police was sent to guard the district. He says whenever masked Shi'ite militiamen showed up, the police simply let them through their checkpoints. Omar says the cooperation allowed the militiamen to capture and kill scores of Sunnis here, who were on death lists.

Another resident, who refuses to be identified, repeats what has been publicly acknowledged by U.S. and Iraqi officials, that some militiamen loyal to radical¹⁹ Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Shi'ite cleric and politician Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, both of whom are believed to be supported by Iran, have infiltrated²⁰ the national police in large numbers and may be carrying out assassinations²¹ of Sunnis.

"Police, we do not trust. There is a lot of killing²² on behalf of the police. Every time I see a police patrol, I get scared. The fact that there is a lot of militia¹⁸ inside the police gives us the shivers," he said.

The distrust of the police among Sunnis has created a serious dilemma²³ for the U.S. military, which has been focused on training Iraq's security forces to take over from coalition²⁴ troops as quickly as possible. About 3,000 U.S. military advisors²⁵ are currently working with various Iraqi units to improve their performance and credibility.

In an interview with VOA, the commander of the so-called Iraq Assistance Group, U.S. Army Brigadier General Dana Pittard, says he is confident that sectarian members in the national police will not be able to undermine the credibility of the entire force.

"There are some influences, but it has not reached to the level of major leadership," he said.  "And those leaders, who are suspected of having that influence, I truly believe that the Iraqi government will get rid of them, will remove them."

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has repeatedly promised to disband all militias²⁶. But few Sunnis believe he will honor that promise.

Shi'ite militias have backing from powerful politicians and political parties in Iraq's Shi'ite-dominated government. During Mr. Maliki's bid for the post of prime minister, he received crucial endorsement²⁷ from Moqtada al-Sadr, who leads the Mahdi Army militia and controls at least 30 seats in the 275-member parliament.

Shi'ite leaders portray²⁸ their militias as nothing more than neighborhood watchdogs, guarding against relentless²⁹ attacks by Saddam loyalists and Sunni extremists.

In the past two and a half years, tens of thousands of Shi'ite civilians³⁰ and Iraqi police have been killed in suicide bombings, roadside bombings, mortar³¹ and rocket attacks in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq. Shi'ite leaders insist the militias cannot be disbanded because U.S. and coalition forces have not done enough to stop terrorists from targeting Iraqi Shi'ites.

The commander of the 172nd Stryker Brigade, Colonel Mike Shields, says the U.S. military is doing all it can to try to secure the capital and the country. But it cannot do it alone.

"The key thing is to turn it over to Iraqi forces in a position and in the right numbers to be able to hold what we have gained, said Colonel Shields. "But the security forces are just one part of it. The people have got to want it and it has got to be an Iraqi solution to the problem."

Back in Adamiyah, Colonel Shield's battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel John Norris, is busy handing out tip hot-line cards to residents.

"The phone numbers that are listed on there are for you to use and if you should see something that is not right or normal in your neighborhood, please do not hesitate to call and share that information with us," he asked.

Residents nod and say they will call. But their worried expressions betray deep concerns about the future.

One life-long Adamiyah resident tells VOA that he believes the country will split apart because people in Baghdad now only talk about being Sunnis or Shi'ites. "We are no longer Iraqis," he says.

1 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

2 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

3 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

4 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。

5 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

6 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

7 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

8 rumbles   

隆隆声，辘辘声( rumble的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• If I hear any rumbles I'll let you know. 我要是听到什么风声就告诉你。
• Three blocks away train rumbles by. 三个街区以外，火车隆隆驶过。

9 troublemakers   

n.惹是生非者，捣乱者( troublemaker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was employed to chuck out any troublemakers. 他受雇把捣乱者赶走。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She had automatically labelled the boys as troublemakers. 她不假思索地认定这些男孩子是捣蛋鬼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 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

11 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 nascent   

adj.初生的，发生中的

参考例句：

• That slim book showed the Chinese intelligentsia and the nascent working class.那本小册子讲述了中国的知识界和新兴的工人阶级。
• Despite a nascent democracy movement,there's little traction for direct suffrage.尽管有过一次新生的民主运动，但几乎不会带来直接选举。

13 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。

14 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。

15 infantry   

n.[总称]步兵(部队)

参考例句：

• The infantry were equipped with flame throwers.步兵都装备有喷火器。
• We have less infantry than the enemy.我们的步兵比敌人少。

16 squads   

n.（军队中的）班( squad的名词复数 )；（暗杀）小组；体育运动的运动（代表）队；（对付某类犯罪活动的）警察队伍

参考例句：

• Anti-riot squads were called out to deal with the situation. 防暴队奉命出动以对付这一局势。 来自辞典例句
• Three squads constitute a platoon. 三个班组成一个排。 来自辞典例句

17 brutally   

adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地

参考例句：

• The uprising was brutally put down.起义被残酷地镇压下去了。
• A pro-democracy uprising was brutally suppressed.一场争取民主的起义被残酷镇压了。

18 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

19 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

20 infiltrated   

adj.[医]浸润的v.（使）渗透，（指思想）渗入人的心中( infiltrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The headquarters had been infiltrated by enemy spies. 总部混入了敌方特务。
• Many Chinese idioms have infiltrated into the Japanese language. 许多中国成语浸透到日语中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

21 assassinations   

n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来，无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
• Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列，自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网

22 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

23 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

24 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。

25 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

26 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

27 endorsement   

n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注

参考例句：

• We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
• His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。

28 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

29 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

30 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。

31 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。