2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Reaffirms Intention to Veto War Funding Bi

By Margaret Besheer
Washington 2-339648
27 April 2007

President Bush warned Congress Friday that he will continue vetoing war spending bills as long as they contain a timetable for the withdrawal¹ of American troops from Iraq. From Washington, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

President Bush gestures during news conference at Camp David, 27 Apr 2007

Speaking at Camp David, the Maryland presidential retreat, a day after Congress approved legislation that calls for U.S. troops to begin leaving Iraq by October 1, Mr. Bush repeated that he will veto the measure as soon as it lands on his desk.

"The reason why I'm going to is because the members of Congress have made military decisions on behalf of the military. They are telling our generals what to do. They are withdrawing before we've even finished reinforcing our troops in Baghdad. They are sending, in my judgment², a bad message to the Iraqis, to an enemy, and most importantly to our military folks," said Mr. Bush.

The bill includes about $95 billion to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through September 30. It also calls for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq beginning in October, or earlier, if President Bush determines the Iraqis have not met certain benchmarks, including disarming³ militias⁴ and taking steps toward political reconciliation⁵ among the government's factions⁶.

The bill sets a non-binding goal of completing a withdrawal of combat troops by April 1 of next year. President Bush is firmly against setting troop withdrawal timetables.

"If the Congress wants to test my will as to whether or not I'll accept a timetable for withdrawal, I won't accept one. I just don't think it's in the interest of our troops," he said.

Mr. Bush made the remarks at a news conference alongside visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is on his first visit to the United States.

In Baghdad, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Thursday that October 1 is too soon to begin a U.S. withdrawal. In Washington, Iraq's ambassador, Samir Sumaida'ie, told VOA that setting a withdrawal date sends the wrong message.

"Of course we respect the debate that takes place in the United States, this is part of the democratic process, and we don't really want to interfere⁷ in the process as such. But we believe that any setting of dates for withdrawal is going to give the wrong signal to the terrorists and to the Iraqis," he said.

Once President Bush has carried through on his veto threat, Democratic leaders say they will send him a new bill, most likely one without a withdrawal timetable. But it would contain other consequences if the Iraqi government does not meet certain benchmarks.

1 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。

2 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

3 disarming   

adj.消除敌意的，使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• He flashed her a disarming smile. 他朝她笑了一下，让她消消气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We will agree to disarming troops and leaving their weapons at military positions. 我们将同意解除军队的武装并把武器留在军事阵地。 来自辞典例句

4 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

5 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。

6 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

7 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。