PBS高端访谈:摩苏尔陷落一年后,白宫计划派遣更多军事培训人员

 　　JUDY WOODRUFF: One year ago today, the Islamic State group shocked many around the world as it captured Mosul, Iraq's second largest city. One year later, Iraq is mired¹ in a multifront war with the extremist organization and thousands have been killed.

　　The White House announced this afternoon that it will send more troops to train and advise Iraqis in the fight. Tonight, we will explore that decision and take a look back at the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq as part of our series No End in Sight.

　　JOSH EARNEST, White House Press Secretary: The president has been very clear that the efforts of the United States and our coalition² partners will be to support the Iraqi people. We will not do for them what they must do for themselves.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: The White House laid out plans to send up to 450 additional military trainers, joining 3,100 troops already there, and establish a fifth training base.

　　Spokesman Josh Earnest:

　　JOSH EARNEST: It reflects the need for the United States, our coalition partners and for the Iraqi government, to be nimble, as we respond to an adversary³ on the ground in Iraq that has also demonstrated a capacity to adapt their tactics and to try to capitalize on their perception of weaknesses.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: All this follows the Islamic State's capture last month of Ramadi, capital of Iraq's largest province, Anbar. Government soldiers fled before the militants⁵. And, Monday, at the G7 Summit, President Obama said there's no complete strategy for defeating the group until the Iraqis are ready.

　　That brought renewed criticism from Republicans, which House Speaker John Boehner echoed after today's announcement.

　　REP. JOHN BOEHNER, Speaker of the House: It's a step in the right direction, but as the president admitted the other day, he has no strategy to win.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: Even today, White House and Pentagon officials said there's no major change in existing policy and no plans to send U.S. combat troops. But there will be at least one substantial effect: The new focus on Ramadi and Fallujah in Anbar province is likely to delay a planned campaign to recapture Mosul in the north, Iraq's second largest city.

　　It's been one year since Islamic State forces, in a lightning advance, seized Mosul, a strategic oil hub and a gateway⁶ to Syria. As in Ramadi, Iraqi soldiers put down their guns, and many shed their uniforms, leaving them in the streets for enemy fighters to find.

　　Triumphant⁷ militants paraded through the streets and refugees fled to camps in the Kurdish region, where thousands remain.

　　ABU ZEID AL-JABOURI, (through interpreter): Impossible. It's impossible to think that I have been out of the town for one year now, or that the current situation would take such a long time. I could have never imagined that on this date, I would be here in this place. It's a very sad and painful anniversary.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: In the meantime, the Islamic State established a so-called caliphate across large swathes of Northern Syria and Iraq, and reached within 50 miles of Baghdad.

　　As they advanced, the militants carried out a reign⁸ of terror, including beheadings of hostages, brutal⁹ treatment of women, and destruction of ancient artifacts. And their influence spread on a global scale, attracting up to 31,000 new foreign fighters to the region.

　　President Obama had once played down the threat, likening the Sunni militant⁴ group to a junior varsity version of al-Qaida. After the fall of Mosul, he launched repeated airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. And he announced the initial effort to train Iraqi forces.

　　The fallout from Mosul also triggered a political shakeup in Iraq. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki resigned two months later, and Haider al-Abadi took over. He's since complained that U.S. help has been too little and too late.

　　HAIDER AL-ABADI, Prime Minister, Iraq (through interpreter): As you know, Islamic State wasn't born in Iraq. They are supported by means from outside Iraq, by external combatants. We can make sacrifices to fight, but the international community, the international coalition has to support us.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF: Instead, Abadi's government is relying heavily on Iranian-backed Shiite militias¹⁰. They were critical to the recapture of Tikrit in April. ISIS also suffered a setback¹¹ in Syria, where Kurdish Peshmerga forces helped drive the militants back from Kobani on the Turkish border.

　　But such gains have been greatly tempered by the losses of Ramadi and the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. A big question will now be whether today's U.S. moves can help turn the tide.

1 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 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。

3 adversary   

adj.敌手，对手

参考例句：

• He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
• They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。

4 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。

5 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。

6 gateway   

n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法

参考例句：

• Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
• A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。

7 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

8 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

9 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

10 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

11 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。