2007年VOA标准英语-US Will Press Iraq to Perform in New Offensive

By Al Pessin
Pentagon
11 January 2007

U.S. Defense¹ Secretary Robert Gates says Iraq will have to demonstrate its ability to deliver more troops to Baghdad and limit the political influence of militia² factions³ before most of the additional U.S. troops will be deployed⁴ to the country. The secretary spoke⁵ at a news conference and a congressional hearing the day after President Bush announced his new Iraq strategy, focused on bringing security to Baghdad, including the deployment⁶ of more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

 
Defense Secretary Robert Gates at a news conference, 11 Jan 2007

Secretary Gates says the U.S. troop increase in Iraq will happen over a period of months, and there will be plenty of time to determine whether the Iraqi government and military are fulfilling their commitments.

"Our belief is they will fulfill⁷ these commitments. But if we see them falling short, we will make sure that they know that, and how strongly we feel about it," he said.

The secretary said if the Iraqis still do not keep their promises, the United States will again re-evaluate its strategy in Iraq. But he indicated he does not think that will be necessary.

"This is, I think, the pivot⁸ point in Iraq, as the Iraqi government insists on assuming the mantle⁹ of leadership in the effort to regain¹⁰ control of its own capital," he said.

 
Gen. Peter Pace testifies before House Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill, 11 Jan 2007
The top U.S. military officer, General Peter Pace, says the Iraqi government first proposed the new security initiative, and has so far done everything it has promised, including appointing a commander for its part of the Baghdad operation and beginning to move forces toward the capital.

"The number one most important difference between this plan and other plans is the political environment in which it will be executed," he said.

Secretary Gates indicated that U.S. officials will be particularly concerned about Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's promise that the military campaign will not be hindered by influential¹¹ politicians allied¹² with militant¹³ factions. The secretary said that has been a problem in the past.

"One of the most important commitments that the prime minister has made is that in this offensive the military will have the authority to go after all law breakers. There are no exceptions," he said.

Secretary Gates would not say whether the military operation will pursue shiite militia leaders like Moqtada al-Sadr, but he said 'all lawbreakers' will be pursued, and all Baghdad neighborhoods will be included.

He was also asked how long the U.S. troop increase, or surge, will last.

"I don't think anybody has a definite idea about how long the surge would last. I think for most of us, in our minds we're thinking of it as a matter of months, not 18 months or two years," he said.

Adding about 20,000 troops to Iraq will bring the number of U.S. forces to only slightly more than it has been from time to time, due to overlaps¹⁴ or special deployments during the Iraqi elections. But Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman says this increase is different because the additional troops will be combat brigades, and will increase the U.S. commander's combat capability¹⁵ by 33 percent, with most of the increase in Baghdad.

When Secretary Gates and General Pace appeared before the House of Representatives' Armed Services Committee, many members, particularly Democrats¹⁶, expressed opposition¹⁷ to the troop increase plan. Among the strongest statements came from Democratic Representative Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii.

"This is the craziest, dumbest plan I've ever seen or heard of in my life. What on earth leads you or the president or the prime minister or anybody in the Joint¹⁸ Chiefs to think such a plan will work anywhere in the world," he said.

Abercrombie said it is ridiculous having U.S. and Iraqi troops, as well as two or three types of Iraqi police, all trying to work together. Others expressed doubt about whether the Iraqi government will live up to its commitments under the plan, and whether the Iraqi forces are competent enough to do their part.

But some members expressed support for the plan. Among them was the senior Republican on the committee, Representative Duncan Hunter, who is running for his party's presidential nomination¹⁹.

"I think the Baghdad plan offers a bolder use of Iraqi military forces and an innovative²⁰ use of American forces. If this works in Baghdad, Mr. Secretary, I would see the opportunity to employ it throughout the country," he said.

Also on Thursday, Secretary Gates announced that over the next five years, the U.S. Army and Marine²¹ Corps²² will be increased by a total of 92,000 troops to ensure enough force is available for whatever challenges the nation faces. That increase is subject to congressional approval.

The secretary also announced that some reserve forces will be called to duty for a second time before the usual five-year waiting period has elapsed.

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 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。

3 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

4 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。

5 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。

6 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

7 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

8 pivot   

v.在枢轴上转动；装枢轴，枢轴；adj.枢轴的

参考例句：

• She is the central pivot of creation and represents the feminine aspect in all things.她是创造的中心枢轴，表现出万物的女性面貌。
• If a spring is present,the hand wheel will pivot on the spring.如果有弹簧，手轮的枢轴会装在弹簧上。

9 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

10 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

11 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

12 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

13 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

14 overlaps   

v.部分重叠( overlap的第三人称单数 )；（物体）部份重叠；交叠；（时间上）部份重叠

参考例句：

• The style in these two books largely overlaps. 这两本书的文体有许多处是一致的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The new office overlaps the functions of the one already in existence. 新机构的职能与那个现存机构的职能部分重叠。 来自辞典例句

15 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

16 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》

17 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。

18 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。

19 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

20 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

21 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

22 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。