2007年VOA标准英语-Lebanon War Inquiry Brings Calls for Olmert's R

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
29 April 2007

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is seen as he chairs the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem, 29 Apr 2007

Israel's embattled leader Ehud Olmert is facing growing calls for his resignation before the publication of an official inquiry¹ into last year's war in Lebanon. But despite expectations of a highly critical report, the prime minister's aides say he has no intention of stepping down. Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in Jerusalem.

Parliamentarians across Israel's political spectrum² are demanding that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resign, after an official inquiry reportedly describes his handling of the Lebanon War as a failure.

The five-member Winograd Commission will publish its interim³ report on Monday. According to portions of the document leaked to Israeli media, the panel concludes that Mr. Olmert made hasty and ill-advised decisions from the outset of the war.

"The political level, the Prime Minister, the Defense⁴ Minister, they carry the major burden of the fiasco of the Second Lebanese War. They should resign," said former Defense Minister Moshe Arens of the opposition⁵ Likud party.

Mr. Olmert's office declined comment until official publication of the report on Monday. But his aides say he will not resign.

"I am sure that the commission's report will not prevent him from leading the country and leading the government," said Tzachi Hanegbi, who is from the Prime Minister's Kadima party.

Hanegbi, who heads the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, also denies allegations that Mr. Olmert mishandled the war.

"I am convinced that the decisions that he made were the right ones. I am convinced that he made those decisions based on the data, on the information given to him by the chief of staff and by the generals, the head(s) of the army," he said.

The inquiry commission sees things differently. It reportedly concludes that Mr. Olmert failed to question the army's battle plans, publicly stated his war aims without ensuring that they were attainable⁶ and did not have an exit strategy.

Israeli forces entered Lebanon after Hezbollah guerrillas began firing thousands of rockets into Israel. Despite a 34-day air and ground assault, the Israeli army failed to defeat about 5,000 guerrillas in southern Lebanon. In addition, reserve soldiers returning from the battlefield complained of poor preparations and a lack of food and ammunition⁷. 

Media reports say the commission does not recommend that the prime minister resign. But if he stays in power, analysts⁸ believe he will be weak and ineffective.

1 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

2 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

3 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

4 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。

5 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。

6 attainable   

a.可达到的，可获得的

参考例句：

• They set the limits of performance attainable. 它们确定着可达到的运行限度。
• If objectives are to be meaningful to people, they must be clear, attainable, actionable, and verifiable. 如果目标对人们是具有意义的，则目标必须是清晰的，能达到的，可以行动的，以及可供检验的。

7 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

8 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。