VOA常速英语2007年-Iraq Debate Steps Up In Washington

By Paula Wolfson
Washington
02 December 2007

U.S. military officials say progress is being made in Iraq, months after an influx¹ of additional American troops. But prominent Democrats³ in Congress say the military gains are not enough, and the Iraqi government must do more on the political front. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports.

With Congress deliberating war funding, the debate over the situation in Iraq is heating up again.

The Bush administration says the troop surge ordered by the president earlier this year has resulted in a drop in the level of violence.

The U.S. second-in-command in Iraq says there has been steady progress, and things seem to be moving in the right direction.

General Ray Odierno says both U.S. and Iraqi civilian⁴ casualties are down. He also says there has been a 25 to 30-percent decline on foreign fighters entering Iraq, and notes Syria is taking steps along its Iraqi border.

He spoke⁵ on CNN's Late Edition program.

"The additional forces we have [in Iraq] have been able to eliminate safe havens⁶ and sanctuaries⁷ there were," said General Odierno. "We continue to see increased capacity in the Iraqi security forces. But probably most importantly, we are seeing the Iraqi people reject terrorism within Iraq."

The troop surge was ordered by President Bush in an effort to create a security environment in which the Iraqi government could move forward with political reconciliation⁸.

General Odierno was asked if Iraq's leaders are taking the necessary steps.

"They probably are not doing it as quickly as we would like," he said. "But they are starting to take steps. Some of these problems are long-term problems that have gone on for decades in Iraq and it is going to take some time to solve them."

But some members of the U.S. Congress wonder if the current Iraqi government can bring the country together.

Senator Carl Levin - a Democrat² from the state of Michigan - is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also appeared on CNN's Late Edition.

"There is growing, I would say, frustration⁹ with the national political leaders in their failure to carry out commitments they made to themselves and us a year ago," said Senator Levin.

Levin said Congress will provide funding for U.S. troops in Iraq, but added lawmakers will continue to press the Bush administration to pressure Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to settle these political differences.

Members of Levin's committee have been traveling to Iraq in recent days for a first hand look at the situation. Virginia Democrat James Webb told NBC's Meet the Press that military progress is not enough. He said the Bush administration has not matched the high performance of American troops with a robust¹⁰ regional diplomacy¹¹.

"That is the only way we are going to be able to take advantage of the quality of the work our military people have done and we are still waiting," said Senator Webb.

Webb has a son who is serving with U.S. forces in al-Anbar province. He said there has been political reconciliation in that part of the country, but stressed it began before the influx of extra American troops.

1 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 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》

4 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。

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 havens   

n.港口，安全地方( haven的名词复数 )v.港口，安全地方( haven的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Your twenty havens would back out at the last minute anyhow. 你那二十个避难所到了最后一分钟也要不认帐。 来自辞典例句
• Using offshore havens to avoid taxes and investor protections. 使用海面的港口避免税和投资者保护。 来自互联网

7 sanctuaries   

n.避难所( sanctuary的名词复数 )；庇护；圣所；庇护所

参考例句：

• The designation of special marine reserves and marine sanctuaries shall be subject to the State Council for approval. 海洋特别保护区、海上自然保护区的确定，须经国务院批准。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After 1965 he acquiesced when they established sanctuaries on that soil. 1965年以后，他默认了他们在那块土地上建立庇护所。 来自辞典例句

8 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

9 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

10 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

11 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。