2007年VOA标准英语-Pentagon to Tighten Tracking of Weapons for Ira

By Al Pessin
Washington
06 August 2007

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office says tens of thousands of rifles, pistols and other items sent to Iraq are unaccounted for. As VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon, officials are promising¹ to keep closer track of weapons sent to Iraq.

Defense2 shows US soldiers lining3 up mortar4 shells, anti-tank, anti-personnel, and anti-aircraft rounds found in a weapons cache in western Iraq (File Photo - 27 Feb 2006)" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070811/0905360.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

A picture released by Department of Defense shows US soldiers lining up mortar shells, anti-tank, anti-personnel, and anti-aircraft rounds found in a weapons cache in western Iraq (File Photo - 27 Feb 2006)

The report does not say the missing weapons have gone astray, into the hands of insurgents⁶ or onto the open market. Rather, it says that in its haste to provide the material to Iraqi forces in the midst of a war, the U.S. military command in Iraq did not keep close enough track of rifles, pistols, body armor and helmets intended for the Iraqi army and police forces.

Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman spoke⁷ about the report on Monday.

"One should not assume that just because you cannot provide a strict audit⁸ paper trail that those weapons are necessarily not being used for their intended purposes which is for the Iraqi security forces," he said.

Whitman says he is not aware of any of the U.S. weapons or other equipment being found in the possession of insurgents or in any of the thousands of insurgent⁵ weapons caches coalition⁹ and Iraqi forces have found around the country. But Whitman acknowledges, as the department does in a letter at the end of the GAO report, that it needs to improve its inventory¹⁰ system in Iraq.

"We acknowledge the fact that the systems that we have ought to be continuously improved upon and refined so that we can ensure that the Iraqi security forces have accountability systems that are effective and that provide for safeguarding equipment that is provided to their military and police forces," added Whitman.

The congressional investigators¹¹' report indicates that the U.S. military command's records do not account for 110,000 AK-47 rifles, 80,000 pistols, 135,000 pieces of body armor and 115,000 helmets. In all, it says that is about 30 percent of such equipment provided to Iraq.

Gen. David Petraeus (file photo)

Much of the discrepancy¹² came during 2004 and 2005, when General David Petraeus was in charge of the effort to train and equip Iraq's new security forces. General Petraeus is now the top coalition commander in Iraq.

The report says has it not been clear what inventory system commanders in the field should use, and they have not had enough staff to monitor the large amount of equipment flowing in from the United States and out to Iraqi forces.

The Pentagon says it will take steps to address both problems.

1 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

4 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

5 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。

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 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。

8 audit   

v.审计；查帐；核对；旁听

参考例句：

• Each year they audit our accounts and certify them as being true and fair.他们每年对我们进行账务审核，以确保其真实无误。
• As usual,the yearly audit will take place in December.跟往常一样，年度审计将在十二月份进行。

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

10 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

11 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 discrepancy   

n.不同；不符；差异；矛盾

参考例句：

• The discrepancy in their ages seemed not to matter.他们之间年龄的差异似乎没有多大关系。
• There was a discrepancy in the two reports of the accident.关于那次事故的两则报道有不一致之处。