White House Says UN Iraq Inspectors Are Not Under Timetable

Broadcast: Jan 13 2003

U.N. weapons inspectors¹ indicate they may need several months more and perhaps as much as a year to complete their work in Iraq. The initial White House response is low key and guarded.

The head of the U.N.'s  ¹⁾International Atomic Energy Agency says it will take months to finish the ^2）inspections³.

Mohammed ElBaradei says the timing⁴ is largely up to Iraq. "How long would it take us depends on the cooperation we get from Iraq in terms of documents, in terms of interviews with Iraqi scientists, in terms of physical evidence of things that has been destroyed," he said.

When asked about the comments, White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer seemed to watch his words carefully. He said President Bush feels it is important for the inspectors to do their job and investigate Iraq's claim that it has no weapons of mass destruction.

"The inspectors need to be in Iraq to do the job that the world has asked them to do and they are in the middle of their work," he said.

He repeated that the president has not set his own deadline for a decision on military action to disarm⁵ Iraq or a timeframe for diplomacy⁶ and inspections to yield results.

"The president has not put any type of artificial timetable on how long he believes is necessary for Saddam Hussein to prove to the world that he is going to comply," he said.

The president has said on numerous occasions that if the Iraqi leader refuses to comply peacefully with international disarmament demands, Iraq will be disarmed⁷ by force.

Mr. Bush has emphasized that he sees military action as a last resort. But the White House has noted⁸ that diplomacy has not worked in the past with Iraq, and a build up of U.S. forces in the Gulf⁹ region is now well underway.

Paula Wolfson VOA news, the White House.

 

1)      International Atomic Energy Agency 国际原子能组织

2)      Inspection² [in5spekFEn] n.检查, 视察

1 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

3 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

5 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

6 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

7 disarmed   

v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。
• The swordsman disarmed his opponent and ran him through. 剑客缴了对手的械，并对其乱刺一气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。