2007年VOA标准英语-US General: Al-Qaida Impact on Afghanistan Rise

By Al Pessin
Pentagon
25 July 2007

A senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan says Pakistan-based al-Qaida is having a growing impact on the Afghan insurgency¹ even though Pakistan's military offensive along the border has reduced the number of insurgent² attacks on the Afghan side this month.  VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

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An Italian soldier with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) blocks a road near the site of a suicide attack on the outskirts of Kabul, 18 July 2007

Speaking via satellite from Afghanistan, Major General David Rodriguez said cross-border attacks from Pakistan into Afghanistan in June were double their level of the same month last year.  But he says that has changed this month with a reduction in the number of attacks, which he attributes largely to Pakistan's offensive in its tribal⁴ areas along the Afghan border.

At the same time, General Rodriguez says al-Qaida has managed to increase the number of foreign fighters it has smuggled⁵ into Afghanistan during the last year by 50 to 60 percent.  He would not provide specific figures.  The general says foreign fighters are still less than five per cent of the total number of insurgents⁶ in Afghanistan, but he says they have an impact beyond what their numbers would suggest.

"They also help facilitate and move resources, to include money," he noted⁷.  "And they have had several contacts where they've been like a cadre-type organization where they've got some recruits and brought them in where they have a couple of foreign fighters that lead a larger force in a cadre-type operation."

General Rodriguez also says the United States has no plans to send forces into Pakistan to help with the offensive in the border area.  He says there is good coordination⁸ between the forces on the two sides of the border, but U.S. assistance to Pakistan is at the central government level in the form of $750 million of security aid.

Meanwhile, General Rodriguez says, Taleban insurgents have been weakened in recent months, particularly in southern Afghanistan, after starting the spring stronger than they were in the past.  He says 20 key Taleban leaders have been captured or killed, some of them in Pakistan.

"They've been severely⁹ disrupted," he added.  "So right now, it's probably not much different between what they were in the past years."

General Rodriguez predicted it will take another two to three years to finish building Afghanistan's new security forces, and he said real security will also require progress on developing governance and the economy, and good cooperation with Pakistan.

1 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

2 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

3 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

4 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

5 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

6 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

9 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。