2006年VOA标准英语-Challenges in Iraq Far from Over

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington
15 March 2006

Three years ago, President Bush ordered coalition¹ forces to invade Iraq to free its people and to act on intelligence that indicated its dictator had weapons of mass destruction, which threatened global security.  At the time, Mr. Bush noted² that the campaign to liberate³ the country could be long and difficult. 

As part of a VOA's series marking the third anniversary of the invasion, reporter Peter Fedynsky examines the difficulties and benefits it has brought to Iraq.

------------------------------------------------------

 
Saddam Hussein argues with chief judge while testifying during his trial in Baghdad
  

The Iraqi people today are free of dictator Saddam Hussein.  But the country, apparently⁴, did not have any weapons of mass destruction.

Today, President Bush says the military objective is to protect American security by turning Iraq into a democracy.  More than 2,500 coalition troops, all but about 200 of them Americans, have died for that cause. 

Most were killed by an enemy that President Bush describes as brutal⁵ terrorists and insurgents⁶ who hate freedom.   And Iraqi casualties are estimated as high as 32,000.

 
George Bush 
  
"But that brutality⁷ has not stopped the dramatic progress of a new democracy. In less than three years, the nation has gone from dictatorship to liberation, to sovereignty, to a constitution, to national elections," said Mr. Bush.

Despite these changes, the commander of coalition forces, General Michael Casey, says this is a difficult time in Iraq.

"We all should be clear that Iraqis remain under threat of terrorist attack by those who will stop at nothing to undermine the formation of the constitutionally-elected government," he said.

That government was voted upon in two national elections held in Iraq in January and December 2005. 

The democratic principle of majority rule has shifted influence from Iraq's minority Sunni Arabs, who held power in the region for centuries, to the majority Shiites.  James Jeffrey, senior advisor⁹ to the U.S. Secretary of State and Coordinator¹⁰ for Iraq Policy, says this is proper.

"What is happening right now is considerable jockeying for positions, be it the prime minister, be it other key ministerial positions among the various groups," he said.  "Of importance is, all of the groups, including the Sunni Arabs, are participating in this informal, but very active, and I think very positive negotiations¹¹."

Jeffrey notes that northern and southern Iraq are relatively¹² peaceful.  However, he acknowledges that in central Iraq, Sunni elements opposed to the government are sabotaging¹³ the area's water, electric, and telephone infrastructure¹⁴ in order to make the country ungovernable.  They are also striking at U.S. forces that are trying to rebuild the infrastructure.  In addition, Sunni and Shia extremists are attacking each other's mosques¹⁵ in hostilities¹⁶ that are bordering on civil war.  Increasing the turmoil¹⁷ are foreign jihadists, who have come to Iraq to kill Americans.  

John Murtha   
  
Many U.S. critics of the war contend that Iraqis now see Americans not as liberators, but occupiers.  Among them, Congressman¹⁸ Jack¹⁹ Murtha, an opposition²⁰ Democrat⁸ from Pennsylvania who initially²¹ supported the effort.

"So there is no way you can win a war when you have lost not only the hearts and minds of the people, but when you have become their enemy," he said.

The Bush administration says the U.S. military will leave when Iraq's own forces can secure the country's fledgling democracy.  However, the Pentagon last month downgraded the only Iraqi battalion²² capable of independent combat to a level requiring them to fight with American support.  And U.S. Army veteran Garrett Reppenhagen, a former specialist and sniper in Iraq, questions the commitment of Iraqi soldiers.

"They don't really want to do the job because they are supporting democracy in Iraq or they believe in these high ideals.  They're doing it for economic reasons," he explained.  "So when the going gets tough, and they're getting shot at, a lot of times they'll disappear, they'll just leave if they are threatened."

In a letter to President Bush last month, Congressman Murtha noted that the Iraq war is costing more than $1 billion a week.  Murtha also urged the reallocation of those funds to protect America's security and global image.  The president, however, says that abandoning Iraq would create a power vacuum, which would be filled by forces bent²³ on attacking the United States.

1 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。

2 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。

3 liberate   

v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由

参考例句：

• They did their best to liberate slaves.他们尽最大能力去解放奴隶。
• This will liberate him from economic worry.这将消除他经济上的忧虑。

4 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

5 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。

6 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

7 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

8 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

9 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。

10 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

11 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。

12 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

13 sabotaging   

阴谋破坏（某事物）( sabotage的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr Smith fiercely denied any question of sabotaging the talks. 史密斯先生坚决拒绝任何企图阻挠谈话的提问。
• Failed in sabotaging APEC summit in Sydney of Australia. 澳大利亚悉尼APEC会议遭遇惨败。

14 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

15 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

16 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

17 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

18 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

19 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

20 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

21 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

22 battalion   

n.营；部队；大队(的人)

参考例句：

• The town was garrisoned by a battalion.该镇由一营士兵驻守。
• At the end of the drill parade,the battalion fell out.操练之后，队伍解散了。

23 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。