US commander in Pakistan warning

US commander in Pakistan warning美国指挥官在巴基斯坦提出警告

A US troop build-up in Afghanistan could push Taliban fighters deeper into Pakistan, further destabilising it, the most senior US commander has warned.

Admiral Michael Mullen, who chairs the Joint¹ Chiefs of Staff, was speaking at a meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington.

Thousands of Pakistani troops are already battling Taliban militants² in the north-west of the country.

Up to two million people in the area have fled the fighting, the UN says.

See a map of the region

On Friday, the UN launched an appeal for（要求） $543m (£343m) to ease what it said was the "incredible suffering" of the internally displaced people in Pakistan.

New strategy

In Washington, Adm Mullen told the Senate committee that the US had a clear national security interest in confronting the Taliban.

 We can't deny that our success in that regard [in Afghanistan] may only push them [militants] deeper into Pakistan

Admiral Michael Mullen

Tide turns against the Taliban

Inside the war zone

Eyewitnesses³ in Swat 

"They want Afghanistan back. We can't let them or their al-Qaeda cohorts have it. We can't permit the return of the... very same safe haven⁴ from which the attacks on 9/11 were planned and resourced," he said.

But Adm Mullen agreed with one of the senators（参议员） that a US offensive in southern Afghanistan could force more Taliban fighters to flee into Pakistan.

"We can't deny that our success in that regard [in Afghanistan] may only push them [militants] deeper into Pakistan," he said.

"Can I... [be] 100% certain that won't destabilise Pakistan? I don't know the answer to that," he added.

However, Adm Mullen said US and Pakistani forces were planning measures to prevent this, without giving further details.

Adm Mullen's comments come as US President Barack Obama's administration prepares to send thousands of extra troops to Afghanistan.

With plans announced for a phased pull-out of US troops from Iraq, Afghanistan was recently confirmed as the primary focus of US military operations.

Mr Obama's new strategy is expected to pair non-military methods and reconstruction⁵ with a stronger armed force on the ground.

(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

 

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 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。

3 eyewitnesses   

目击者( eyewitness的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The examination of all the eyewitnesses took a week. 对所有证人的质询用了一周的时间。
• Several eyewitnesses testified that they saw the officers hit Miller in the face. 几位目击证人证明他们看见那几个警官打了米勒的脸。

4 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

5 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。