2006年VOA标准英语-Aziz: Afghan Stability in Pakistan's Interest

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
05 July 2006

Pakistan's prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, rejects accusations¹ that his country is not doing enough to prevent Taleban forces from crossing the border into Afghanistan. He told a group of journalists in Geneva that stability in Afghanistan is in Pakistan's interests and his government is doing what it can to improve security and help the Afghan people. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva, where Mr. Aziz attended a U.N. Economic and Social Council meeting.

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Both the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai and the Bush administration say Pakistan could be doing more to keep the Taleban under wraps so they do not mount cross-border attacks in Afghanistan. 

Shaukat Aziz   
  
Pakistan's prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, says his country's role regarding the Taleban's activity is being overplayed. He says what is happening in Afghanistan is a domestic reaction to lack of progress in the development of the country.

"The people of Afghanistan have gone through tremendous trauma² over the last several decades because of all the violence and other stuff going on," he said. "It is in Pakistan's strategic interest to have a peaceful, stable and growing Afghanistan. If that is destabilized in any way, we are the biggest losers." 

Hamid Karzai (File photo)  
  
Aziz says Pakistan has done its utmost to help President Karzai and his government because it is in its interest to do so. He says there are Taleban militia³ all over Afghanistan. He says it is unclear who is behind all the incidents that are occurring.

"And they are not incidents near the Pakistan border," he said. "As you know, they are all across the country. So, Afghanistan is trying to improve its security forces, police, army, etc. And, we support these efforts because we think that peace in Afghanistan will help peace in the whole region. So, our interests are common."

The Pakistani prime minister says his government has stationed 80,000 troops along its border with Afghanistan to prevent, what he calls, elements who can create problems, from moving on either side. He says his government is coordinating⁴ security with Afghanistan to help improve the situation.

1 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

2 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

3 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

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