2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Defends Iraqi Troop Plan

By Scott Stearns
White House
13 January 2007

 
George Bush 

U.S. President George Bush is defending plans to send more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq as part of what he says is a new way forward. VOA White House correspondent Scott Stearns reports, opposition¹ Democrats² say it will only make things worse.

Responding to criticism of the plan, President Bush says this strategy will succeed where past efforts have failed, because security operations will now be free from political and sectarian interference.

"We recognize that many members of Congress are skeptical," he said. "Some say our approach is really just more troops for the same strategy. In fact, we have a new strategy with a new mission: helping³ secure the population, especially in Baghdad."

Public opinion polls show two-thirds of Americans oppose sending more troops to Iraq. A CNN survey says nearly 70 percent of people now disapprove⁴ of the way the president is handling the war.

 
Congressman⁵ Tim Walz (file photo)
Iraq was the central issue in November legislative⁶ elections that gave Democrats control of the House and Senate. Minnesota Congressman Tim Walz says the vote shows Americans want an end to what he calls the president's failed policies in Iraq.

"Before moving forward with this escalation⁷, we owe it to these troops, to their families, and to all Americans to ask the tough questions and demand honest answers about this policy," he said. "Is there a clear strategy that the commanders on the ground believe will succeed? What are the benchmarks for success, and how long does the president believe it will take to achieve them? Is this a policy that will contribute to America's security in the larger war on terror, or distract from it?"

Walz is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. In the Democratic radio address, he said sending more troops to Iraq will only make things worse.

"It is a step in the wrong direction - more of the same at the very time when we need a new direction in Iraq," he said. "Let us be very clear: we need diplomatic and political solutions in Iraq, not more American troops."

President Bush says the main obstacle to a political solution is continuing sectarian violence, so the best way to reach that solution is to help Iraqi forces put down that violence.

In his weekly radio address, the president said he will hold the Iraqi government to benchmarks it has established to take responsibility for security in all provinces by November, pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis, and spend $10 billion of its own money on reconstruction⁸ projects that will create new jobs.

Mr. Bush says critics of his plan have the burden to come forward with a better alternative.

"Members of Congress have a right to express their views, and express them forcefully," he said. "But those who refuse to give this plan a chance to work have an obligation to offer an alternative that has a better chance for success. To oppose everything while proposing nothing is irresponsible."

The Commander-in-Chief needs no further approval from Congress to send more troops. He says those thousands of young men and women will join an important mission that will in large part determine the outcome in Iraq.

Democrats and Republicans opposed to the plan say it is too few troops to significantly change the course of the war, and further delays Iraq taking more responsibility for its own security.

1 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。

2 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》

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 disapprove   

v.不赞成，不同意，不批准

参考例句：

• I quite disapprove of his behaviour.我很不赞同他的行为。
• She wants to train for the theatre but her parents disapprove.她想训练自己做戏剧演员，但她的父母不赞成。

5 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。

6 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

7 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

8 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。