2007年VOA标准英语-US Vows to Work With Pakistan on Counterterrori

By Deborah Tate
Washington
26 July 2007

A U.S. State Department official says the United States wants to work with Pakistan on counterterrorism and not infringe¹ on Pakistani sovereignty. The comments come just days after a White House official refused to rule out U.S. military action against al-Qaida in remote Pakistani regions, prompting an angry response from Islamabad. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

Nicholas Burns (file photo)

U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns sought to ease Islamabad's concerns during testimony² Wednesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "We understand that Pakistan is sovereign in its own country. We understand that Pakistani forces are in the battle, and it is always the preference to work with Pakistan on the issue of counterterrorism," he said.

At the same time, Burns said the United States would keep the option of targeting Osama bin³ Laden⁴'s network in the Pakistani-Afghan border regions in some circumstances. "Given the primacy of the fight against al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden, if we have in the future a certainty of knowledge, then of course the United States would always have the option of taking action on its own, but we prefer to work with the Pakistani forces, and in most situations, in nearly every situation, do work with them."

On Sunday, White House Homeland Security Adviser⁵ Fran Townsend told a television interviewer the United States would consider military action against al-Qaida elements in remote Pakistani regions near the Afghan border, prompting an angry response from Pakistan's Foreign Ministry⁶, which said any such action would be unacceptable.

Undersecretary Burns was on Capitol Hill to ask Congress for $750 million over five years to spend on education, health and economic projects in the tribal⁷ areas of Pakistan in support of a Pakistani government program to integrate the remote region into the national economy. "I know the Pakistani government recognizes that it cannot defeat terrorism in the northwest frontier province by military means alone. There does have to be a political dialogue in the tribal areas with the people who are influential⁸ in those areas. There must be an effort to rebuild the tribal areas to provide the kind of infrastructure⁹ that is lacking, access to education," he said.

The proposed aid is part of a larger package of economic and military assistance to Pakistan that could reach one billion dollars over the next several years.

Burns' testimony follows the Pakistani government's use of force earlier this month to end the militant¹⁰ occupation of Islamabad's Red Mosque¹¹ compound, and new pledges to drive al-Qaida and other foreign forces from tribal areas.

1 infringe   

v.违反，触犯，侵害

参考例句：

• The jury ruled that he had infringed no rules.陪审团裁决他没有违反任何规定。
• He occasionally infringe the law by parking near a junction.他因偶尔将车停放在交叉口附近而违反规定。

2 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

3 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

4 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

5 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 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。

8 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

9 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

10 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

11 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。