2006年VOA标准英语-US Panel Formed to Provide Independent Ass

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
15 March 2006
 
The U.S. Congress has commissioned a bipartisan panel to provide an independent assessment¹ of the situation in Iraq.  The panel's leaders say their group will offer valuable advice to U.S. policymakers. 

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Frank Wolf (file)  
  

Congressman³ Frank Wolf, a Virginia Republican, says lawmakers sought such a commission so they could get a clear picture of the situation in Iraq, one not filtered by U.S. domestic politics.

"The Congress asked for this.  A group of us who have been in Iraq a couple of times, Republicans and Democrats⁵, came back in a bipartisan basis to ask for the good of the country to take fresh eyes on the target," Wolf said.

Senator Joe Biden, a Delaware Democrat⁴, says the panel, called the Iraq Study Group, will also recommend a future course of action for the United States and its coalition⁶ in Iraq.

"This study group is required not only to look at the situation as it exists now, but look at potential alternatives based on a plan B and a plan C, depending on what happens on the ground," he said.

The group, made up of 10 former government officials, equally divided between Republicans and Democrats, is chaired by former Secretary of State James Baker⁷ and former Congressman Lee Hamilton.

Baker, who served in the administration of President Bush's father, acknowledges that his task will not be easy.

"We may indeed have an important opportunity here to help resolve some difficult questions through bipartisan collaboration⁹.  But I want to underscore that we are under no illusions whatsoever¹⁰ about the difficulty of this task," he said.

Hamilton, an Indiana Democrat, also served as vice² chairman of the commission that probed the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

The establishment of the panel comes just days before the third anniversary Sunday of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, and amid concerns about a strengthening insurgency¹¹ and prospects¹² of a civil war.

General John Abizaid appears before House Armed Services Committee, March 15, 2006, to discuss US Central Command FY07 budget   
  
The panel's unveiling came as the top U.S. commander in Iraq, General John Abizaid, sought to emphasize the positive in offering his assessment of the situation in Iraq in testimony¹³ before a House committee.

"I believe that we are not on a verge¹⁴ of a civil war, I believe that the sectarian issues are controllable, and I believe that the government of national unity⁸ will emerge, and I believe that the Iraqi security forces will continue to improve.  This is not to underplay what is happening there.  It is serious.  We do need to be concerned," he said. "But I believe the good people of Iraq still have the majority of the people trying to hold the country together and not pull it apart."

The Iraq Study Group's co-chairman, former Congressman Hamilton, denied his panel was formed in response to what many of his fellow Democrats say is the administration's overly optimistic assessment of the situation in Iraq.

"We have not tried to make a judgment¹⁵ at this point as to where we are right now," he said.

Hamilton says his group will study the political and security situation in Iraq, economic reconstruction¹⁶ in the country, and the strategic environment in the region.

Other members of the panel include former Central Intelligence Agency Director Robert Gates, former Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming, and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Guiliani, all Republicans.  The Democrats on the panel include former Defense¹⁷ Secretary William Perry, former Senator Chuck Robb of Virginia, and Leon Panetta, who served as chief of staff for President Clinton.

The effort is being coordinated¹⁸ with support from the non-partisan U.S. Institute for Peace, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the James Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in Texas.

1 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 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。

4 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。

5 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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。

7 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

8 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

9 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

10 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

11 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

12 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

13 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

14 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

15 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

16 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。

17 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。

18 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法