2007年VOA标准英语-US General Predicts More Casualties as Iraq Sur

By Al Pessin
Pentagon
04 May 2007

The commander of U.S. forces south of Baghdad says more fighting and more casualties are ahead in the coming months, as the U.S. surge of forces is completed and clashes with insurgents² increase. The officer spoke³ Friday, after more than 100 U.S. troops were killed in Iraq in April, including 13 of his own, making it the deadliest month so far this year for U.S. forces. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch speaks with Pentagon reporters via satellite, providing an update on current operations in Iraq, 04 May 2007

Speaking from Iraq on a video link, Major General Rick Lynch said his forces are moving to eliminate insurgent¹ sanctuaries⁴, and the insurgents are counter-attacking just as frequently.

He says the pace will increase even more when he receives the rest of the additional forces he is to get as part of the U.S. troop surge President Bush announced in January.

"We're going to take the fight to them," said General Lynch. "When these surge units get on the ground, we're going to move to control those sanctuaries. But that's going to come at [some] cost. He's not going to give those sanctuary⁵ areas up without a fight. So there's a fight that's fixin' to happen in those sanctuary areas."

General Lynch says that means more casualties.

"Over time, especially as we continue to put our forces in areas in which they have never operated, we can expect continued casualties," he said.

General Lynch says Iraqi forces are playing a large role in the fighting in his area, and another general reported on Thursday that 300 Iraqi troops were killed in action throughout the country in April.

General Lynch says he expects to have all the additional forces for his region by mid-June, and he says his mission is to prevent both Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias⁶ from using the area south of Baghdad as a staging ground for attacks on the capital.

He also says he has seen evidence of fighting among the various armed groups.

"We're seeing that here in Iraq," said General Lynch. "We're seeing it in my battlespace. Candidly⁷, what we have here is a struggle for power and influence. And it's not all about Sunni violence against Shias or Shia against Sunnis. Sometimes, within the respective sects⁸ you see fighting amongst themselves."

General Lynch also reported that high-powered roadside bombs provided by Iran are killing⁹ some of his troops. He says two weeks ago, U.S. and Iraqi forces found caches of mortar¹⁰ systems, rockets and ammunition¹¹ with Iranian markings and recent date stamps.

The general, whose previous tour in Iraq ended last June, says the new strategy focuses on providing security for ordinary Iraqis. He says that, and increased reconstruction¹² efforts, are beginning to have an impact, although he acknowledges there is still much work to be done.

He also says insurgents are alienating¹³ many local people by bombing civilian¹⁴ targets, including a busload of women and children this week in the town of Mahmudiyah. He says the attack killed eight women and injured four children.

1 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

2 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 sanctuaries   

n.避难所( sanctuary的名词复数 )；庇护；圣所；庇护所

参考例句：

• The designation of special marine reserves and marine sanctuaries shall be subject to the State Council for approval. 海洋特别保护区、海上自然保护区的确定，须经国务院批准。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After 1965 he acquiesced when they established sanctuaries on that soil. 1965年以后，他默认了他们在那块土地上建立庇护所。 来自辞典例句

5 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

6 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

7 candidly   

adv.坦率地，直率而诚恳地

参考例句：

• He has stopped taking heroin now,but admits candidly that he will always be a drug addict.他眼下已经不再吸食海洛因了,不过他坦言自己永远都是个瘾君子。
• Candidly,David,I think you're being unreasonable.大卫，说实话我认为你不讲道理。

8 sects   

n.宗派，教派( sect的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had subdued the religious sects, cleaned up Saigon. 他压服了宗教派别，刷新了西贡的面貌。 来自辞典例句

9 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

10 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

11 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。

12 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。

13 alienating   

v.使疏远( alienate的现在分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• The phenomena of alienation are widespread. Sports are also alienating. 异化现象普遍存在，体育运动也不例外。 来自互联网
• How can you appeal to them without alienating the mainstream crowd? 你是怎么在不疏忽主流玩家的情况下吸引住他们呢？ 来自互联网

14 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。