VOA标准英语2008年-US Wants Pakistan to Do More Than Deploy Troops

The Pentagon says just the presence of regular Pakistani army troops in the country's tribal¹ areas, along the Afghanistan border, helps reduce the flow of militant² fighters in the region, even though the United States would like the Pakistani troops to engage in more aggressive operations. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

U.S. officials have frequently called on Pakistan to do more to get control of its tribal region, where al-Qaida and other groups use tribal alliances and rugged³ terrain⁴ to protect bases for planning and launching attacks in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan's new Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani met with Defense⁵ Secretary Robert Gates Tuesday, following meetings at the White House on Monday, where President Bush spoke⁶ of what he called "the need...to make sure the Afghan border is as secure as possible."

Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell says Pakistan is already working on that, although the United States would like it to do more. "The mere⁷ presence of Pakistani troops in the border region, we have noticed, has helped on the Afghan side of the border. Even if they are not actively⁸ engaged in aggressive, offensive military operations, the mere presence of large numbers of Pakistani troops seems to stem the flow, the free flow, of fighters within the FATA and across the border into Afghanistan, and that is helpful."

The FATA are the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan.

Morrell also commented on the Pakistani government's efforts to negotiate with tribal leaders to get them to stop allowing insurgents⁹ to operate in their midst. U.S. officials have criticized past agreements, saying the tribal leaders took the government's incentives¹⁰ and did not fulfill¹¹ their part of the bargain. The Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday that negotiations¹² are "worth pursuing" if they produce "enforceable" agreements.

"I don't think we've assessed the negotiations to be futile¹³. We just are urging the Pakistanis to combine them with consistent military operations to enforce whatever deals they negotiate there. But ultimately, as I've said, the words have been encouraging but the deeds are what ultimately we will measure. And that is what we continue to work with them on."

Morrell says there has been an "up tick" in Pakistani military operations in the border area, but he said it is "obviously not" enough to stem the flow of foreign fighters into Afghanistan.

 

 

1 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。

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 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

4 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

5 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。

6 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。

7 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

8 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

9 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

10 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

11 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

12 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

13 futile   

adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的

参考例句：

• They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。
• Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。