2006年VOA标准英语-US General: Iraqi Army in North to Take Ov

By Gary Thomas
Washington
05 May 2006

 
Major General Thomas Turner 
  
The senior American military commander in northern Iraq says all the Iraqi army units in his area will take the operational lead in the region by early 2007.  Meanwhile, three U.S. soldiers were killed south of Baghdad, and there are reports of clashes between Iranian forces and Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq along the border.

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Reports say Iranian troops have been shelling Kurdish enclaves in Iraq and have crossed the border in the past several weeks to battle armed Kurdish separatists.

In a briefing from Iraq Friday, Army Major General Thomas Turner, commander of Multinational¹ Division-North and the 101st Airborne Division, said he had received reports of the clashes between Kurdish and Iranian forces in his operational area, but that no American troops were involved.

"The area where the reported fight occurred was due north of Arbil in very restricted terrain², very mountainous terrain," he said.  "And the reports are that Iranians attempted to come across and also shelled three cities.  And the Iraqi government is dealing³ with that issue now.  We do not have any Americans along the border up in that area."

The separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has accused Iran and Turkey of coordinating⁴ attacks against Kurdish enclaves in Iraq.  Analysts⁵ say both countries are concerned that the autonomy enjoyed by Iraqi Kurds since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 will spark unrest among their own Kurdish populations.

In his briefing, beamed by satellite to Pentagon reporters, General Turner said Iraqi army units will take the lead in operations in northern Iraq by early 2007.

"All Iraqi army units in AO [area of operations] North are in the fight," he said.  "Those that have not assumed an area of operations, it is generally due to a lack of equipment or specialized⁶ training, and those units are fighting alongside ours.  We anticipate that all Iraqi army units in our AO operating in the lead by early next year."

He said al-Qaida in Iraq under the leadership of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi remains⁷ the greatest threat in the area under his command.

"Foreign terrorists continue to make their way into the community, and there's a homegrown element of the organization throughout our AO," he added.  "The more success we have against al-Qaida, the more willing Iraqi citizens are willing to report terrorist activity."

Meanwhile, three American soldiers were killed Friday by a roadside bomb in Babil province, south of Baghdad.  A U.S. military statement says their vehicle was attacked near the town of Mahaweel, 75 kilometers south of Baghdad.

1 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

2 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

5 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

6 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。