2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Says Newly Released Intel Discloses al-Qai

By Paula Wolfson
White House
23 May 2007

President Bush says al-Qaida terrorist leaders tried to turn Iraq into a launch pad for attacks on the United States. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports Mr. Bush outlined details of the plan in a speech Wednesday at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

President Bush speaks about the war on terror as he delivers commencement address at US Coast Guard Academy graduation ceremony in New London, Connecticut, 23 May 2007

The president says there is hard evidence that al-Qaida operatives in Iraq were told in 2005 to start planning for attacks on U.S. targets outside the country.

In a commencement address at the Coast Guard Academy, Mr. Bush spoke¹ of the link between al-Qaida leader Osama bin² Laden³ and his followers⁴ in Iraq. He said newly released U.S. intelligence information shows bin Laden's intent is clear.

"He believes that if al-Qaida can drive us out, they can establish Iraq as a new terror sanctuary," he said.

The president said a number of terrorist plots have been foiled, and several of bin Laden's allies in Iraq have been captured or killed.

"Successes like these are blows to al-Qaida," he said. "They are testaments⁵ to the steps we have taken to strengthen our intelligence, work closely with our partners overseas and keep the pressure on the enemy."

Mr. Bush went on to stress that al-Qaida remains⁶ extremely dangerous, and determined⁷. He said Osama bin Laden sees a democratic Iraq as a threat to the group's very existence, indicating the al-Qaida chief will do everything possible to undermine the fragile Iraqi government.

"Victory in Iraq is important for Osama bin Laden. And victory in Iraq is vital for the United States of America," said Mr. Bush.

This is not the first time the Bush administration has released previously⁸ classified information about al-Qaida to help buttress⁹ its case for continued military operations.

Critics charge Mr. Bush is trying to draw attention away from the ongoing¹⁰ bloodshed in Iraq. Former Senator John Edwards, who is seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination¹¹, says the president refuses to acknowledge his war policy is a failure.

Edwards told a foreign policy group in New York that Mr. Bush is ignoring the message sent by American voters last November when they elected a Democratic congressional majority.

"The president has played political brinksmanship over the war in Iraq, and he has done it over and over and over."

White House Homeland Security Advisor¹² Fran Townsend defended the decision to release the new information at a time of heated debate on the president's Iraq policy. Townsend told reporters the information was released when investigators¹³ felt it was safe to do so, and the timing¹⁴ was not politically motivated.

1 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。

2 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

3 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

4 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

5 testaments   

n.遗嘱( testament的名词复数 )；实际的证明

参考例句：

• The coastline is littered with testaments to the savageness of the waters. 海岸线上充满了海水肆虐过后的杂乱东西。 来自互联网
• A personification of wickedness and ungodliness alluded to in the Old and New Testaments. 彼勒《旧约》和《新约》中邪恶和罪孽的化身。 来自互联网

6 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。

7 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

9 buttress   

n.支撑物；v.支持

参考例句：

• I don't think they have any buttress behind them.我认为他们背后没有什么支持力量。
• It was decided to buttress the crumbling walls.人们决定建造扶壁以支撑崩塌中的墙。

10 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

11 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

12 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

13 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。