2007年VOA标准英语-President's Iraq Plan Faces Bipartisan Critics

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington, DC
12 January 2007
 
watch Iraq Hearings

President Bush's call for more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops in Iraq is facing scrutiny¹ in both houses of Congress, where the Democratic Party is now in control.  But as VOA's Peter Fedynsky reports, critics of Mr. Bush's new Iraq plan include members of his own Republican Party.

In a hearing controlled by the new Democratic Party majority, it was Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations committee who indicated the degree of opposition² to President Bush's call for a troop surge. 

 
Senator Norm Coleman, Minnesota Republican
Senator Norm Coleman, a Minnesota Republican, said: "I'm not prepared, at this time, to support that."

Senator George Voinovich, an Ohio Republican, stated: "I am skeptical³ that a surge of troops will bring an end to the escalation⁴ of violence and the insurgency⁵."

Senator Chuck Hagel, Nebraska Republican, added: "I will resist it." Hagel said the president's call for a troop surge, if carried out, would represent the most dangerous U.S. foreign policy blunder since Vietnam. 

In an exchange with the senator, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice denied that the additional troops would represent an escalation of the war. "I don't see it, and the president doesn't see it, as an escalation. What he sees..."

 
Senator Chuck Hagel, Nebraska Republican
Senator Hagel interrupted: "Putting 22,000 new troops, more troops in, is not an escalation?"

To which Ms. Rice responded: "Well, I think, Senator, escalation is not just a matter of how many numbers you put in.  Escalation is also a question of, are you changing the strategic goal of what you're trying to do? Are you escalating⁶.”

Senator Hagel asked: "Would you call it a decrease, and billions of dollars more that you need."

"I would call it, Senator, an augmentation that allows the Iraqis to deal with this very serious problem that they have in Baghdad," said the secretary.

Democratic Senator Russ Feingold of Minnesota said Congress should put an end to America's involvement in what he called a "disastrous⁷ war."  "It is time to use the power of the purse to bring our troops out of Iraq.  Over the next several weeks, I, and I hope many of my colleagues, will work together to take a hard look at exactly how we should do that, but it is time to use that power."

 
Congressman⁸ Duncan Hunter, California Republican 
But at a separate hearing in the House Armed Services Committee, Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter of California said he plans to support President Bush's plan. "I think the Baghdad plan offers a bolder use of Iraqi military forces and an innovative⁹ use of American forces."

President Bush argues that an early withdrawal¹⁰ from Iraq would seriously damage America's strategic interests.  He elaborated on his call for a troop increase in an address to soldiers at Fort Benning, Georgia. 

"The mission is to clear and secure Iraqi neighborhoods, help Iraqis protect the local population, and to ensure that the Iraqi forces that are left behind will be capable of providing the security necessary in the capital of Iraq," said the president.

The House Armed Services Committee asked Defense¹¹ Secretary Robert Gates what would happen if the Iraqis fail to honor their commitments. He said, "The president has made it very clear, both in his speech last night and in his talks with the Iraqi government, that American patience is limited, and obviously, if the Iraqis fail to maintain their commitments, we will have to revisit our strategy."

Congress will be reviewing the administration's Iraq policy in a series of hearings in coming weeks.  Lawmakers could deny funds in an attempt to stop President Bush's troop increase.

1 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

2 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。

3 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

4 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

5 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

6 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

7 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

8 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

9 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。

10 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。

11 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。