2007年VOA标准英语-Iraqis Say More Than Troop Surge Needed for Sta

By Margaret Besheer
Irbil
16 July 2007

The patience of the American public and many politicians is waning¹ as Iraqi violence continues and political reconciliation² remains³ beyond reach. An additional 30,000 U.S. troops have arrived in Iraq, as calls intensify⁴ at home for U.S. forces to leave. In Iraq, VOA's Margaret Besheer asks Iraqi officials what they think of the U.S. surge strategy and the possibility of a U.S. troop withdrawal⁵.

US troops run across the street during a mission in Baquba, 04 Jul 2007

The United States now has about 160,000 military personnel in Iraq. But Sunni-Arab member of parliament Azhar al-Samerai says the solution is not in the troop levels.

"It is not the number, it is the kind," said Samerai. "If they plan good they will do good. But they did not."

She says U.S. military and political strategy in Iraq has been flawed from the start, and that is why no amount of soldiers can fix the situation.

Iraqi legislator Mahmoud Othman, a Kurd, thinks the root of the problem is political.

"I think the problem is political and any surge could not solve it," he said. "It could be solved only politically between Iraqi forces."

An interim⁶ report on Iraq issued last week from the White House said Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government had made only limited progress in meeting goals for political reconciliation and security, fueling calls in the United States for troops to begin leaving.

In mid-September, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, David Petraeus, and American Ambassador Ryan Crocker are due to give Congress a progress report on conditions.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh worries that could be too soon for a fair assessment⁷ to be made.

"It is unfair to say the surge is not workable. I think we should give it enough time," he said. "Nobody could do a magic thing in September. But we do need a review. We do need to probably change the policy. Even the Iraqi government needs to change the policy. This policy is not workable."

But patience is dwindling⁸ in the United States. A recent poll by the U.S. newsmagazine Newsweek found that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that President Bush's troop-surge plan has been a failure.

Political frustration⁹ is also growing. Several leaders from President Bush's Republican party have questioned his Iraq policy. While Congress passed a measure last week demanding that most U.S. combat forces leave Iraq by April first of next year, with the withdrawal process to begin within 120 days.

Parliamentarian Safia Taleb al-Suhail says a timetable for U.S. withdrawal could be the motivation Iraqis need.

"I think we should really take our sovereignty back as Iraqis and we should take care of our security file. But the reality [is] that we are not at all ready to do it now," said Suhail. "But I am not against having a timetable, because the timetable will give, in my view, more push for both Americans, international community, and Iraqis to work seriously in having our security forces ready to do the job."

Government spokesman Dabbagh says a limited withdrawal could begin in 2008.

"We think that in 2008 the Iraqi security forces will be built to a certain extent that we could have a certain withdrawal of the American troops in good numbers," he said.

But he cautions that any withdrawal should not be done in haste or in response to political pressures before the U.S. presidential election next year. He says Americans and Iraqis have sacrificed too much for it to be lost in this way.

1 waning   

adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly. 她对整个想法的热情迅速冷淡了下来。
• The day is waning and the road is ending. 日暮途穷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 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。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

5 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。

6 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

7 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

8 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

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。