VOA标准英语2008年-Iraqi PM Opens Command Center in Mosul, Returns

By Suzanne Presto¹
Irbil
17 May 2008

Iraq's prime minister returned to the nation's capital Saturday after spending several days in Mosul overseeing a military operation against militants³ currently under way there. VOA's Suzanne Presto reports from the northern city of Irbil.

Before he departed Mosul, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki opened a new military operation command post in the northern city. He said this new facility, complete with high-tech⁴ equipment, would assist the Iraqi army with its campaign in Mosul. He said it would also benefit military commanders throughout the country.

The new facility in Ninawa gives commanders there the ability to teleconference with other operation posts in the nation, providing a better overview⁵ of military campaigns.

A military media advisor⁶ says generals plan to teleconference each week to discuss strategy and follow troop movements across Iraq.

Meanwhile, military officials in Mosul say they are pleased with the success of the operation in the city, which began in earnest one week ago.

The commander of operations for Ninawa province, Major General Riyadh Jalal, says commanders have praised this as the Iraqi military's most successful operation to date.

General Jalal added that, from a security standpoint, this is very different from previous operations to push militants out of the cities, including the recent campaign in the Shi'ite militant² stronghold of Basra, in southern Iraq. That operation, launched in late March, was characterized by fierce resistance from militants, heavy fighting in the streets, and the desertion of some members of the security forces.

An Interior Ministry⁷ spokesman says more than 1,000 wanted militants have been captured in Mosul since May 10. He said the military had security orders to arrest each of those detainees in the urban al-Qaida in Iraq stronghold.

In addition, the spokesman says troops have confiscated⁸ 600 kilograms of high explosives, nearly 80 roadside bombs and more than 45 rockets. They also took control of almost 200 simple and medium weapons. It is not clear if that number includes small arms that militants may have turned over in return for amnesty, as promised by the prime minister.

In other news, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, arrived in Baghdad Saturday on a previously⁹ unannounced visit for talks with Iraqi and U.S. officials.

1 presto   

adv.急速地；n.急板乐段；adj.急板的

参考例句：

• With something so important,you can't just wave a wand and presto!在这么重大的问题上，你想挥动一下指挥棒，转眼就变过来,办不到！
• I just turned the piece of wire in the lock and hey presto,the door opened.我把金属丝伸到锁孔里一拧，嘿，那门就开了。

2 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。

3 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

4 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

5 overview   

n.概观，概述

参考例句：

• The opening chapter gives a brief historical overview of transport.第一章是运输史的简要回顾。
• The seminar aims to provide an overview on new media publishing.研讨会旨在综览新兴的媒体出版。

6 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

7 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。

8 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

9 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。