2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Defends War in Iraq

By Scott Stearns
White House
28 September 2006
 
President Bush says U.S. troops fighting terrorists in Iraq are making Americans safer at home. Opposition¹ Democrats² say a U.S. intelligence review concludes that the war in Iraq is building support for terrorists.

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George Bush

President Bush says parts of a 30-page classified review of global terrorism were leaked to the press for political purposes with congressional elections now just over one month away.

Mr. Bush declassified³ parts of that report this week so he says Americans can see for themselves how opposition Democrats are trying to manipulate that national intelligence estimate to turn voters against the war in Iraq.

"The Democrats can't have it both ways," said President Bush. "Either they believe that Iraq is a distraction⁴ from the war on terror, or they agree with the intelligence community and the terrorists themselves that the outcome of Iraq is important in the war on terror. The truth is the Democrats are using the NIE to mislead the American people and justify⁵ their withdrawal⁶ from Iraq."

The report from 16 U.S. intelligence agencies says fighting in Iraq is shaping a new generation of terrorist leaders. It says the war has become a "cause celebre" for terrorists, breeding what it calls a deep resentment⁷ of U.S. involvement in the Muslim world while cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement.

Democrats say that shows the fallacy of the president's claims that fighting in Iraq is making Americans safer at home.

But the intelligence estimate goes on to say that if terrorists are perceived to have failed in Iraq, fewer people will be inspired to carry on the fight.

At a campaigning rally for the Republican governor of the southern state of Alabama, President Bush said winning the war in Iraq will reduce terrorist threats.

"The greatest danger is not that America's presence in Iraq is drawing new recruits to the terrorist cause," he said. "The greatest danger is that an American withdrawal from Iraq would embolden⁸ the terrorists and help them find new recruits to carry out even more destructive attacks on the American homeland."

The report outlines vulnerabilities in the jihadist movement, including what it says is widespread popular opposition in the Muslim world to an ultra-conservative interpretation⁹ of Sharia law.

But the U.S. analysis concludes that underlying¹⁰ factors fueling the spread of the movement outweigh¹¹ its vulnerabilities and are likely to do so for some time.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 declassified   

adj.解密的v.对（机密文件等）销密( declassify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Thousands of classified documents have now been declassified. 数以千计的保密文件现在被解密了。
• The software used for Siemens S7-300 encryption logic block declassified. 此软件用于对西门子S7-300加密逻辑块解密。

4 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

5 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

6 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

7 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

8 embolden   

v.给…壮胆，鼓励

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine,he went over to introduce himself to her.他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• The Prime Minister was steadily emboldened by the discovery that he faced no opposition.发现自己并未遭到反对，首相渐渐有了信心。

9 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

10 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。

11 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。