2007年VOA标准英语-Iraqi Government Still Shaky, Says New US Intel

By Gary Thomas
Washington
23 August 2007

A new U.S. intelligence estimate says there have been some improvements in the security situation in Iraq. It also says, however, that the Iraqi government is still unable to govern effectively and will remain in a precarious¹ state, at least for the near future. VOA correspondent Gary Thomas reports.

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Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki talks to the media during a press conference in the heavily fortified Green Zone, 12 Aug 2007

The new National Intelligence Estimate on stability in Iraq says there has been what it terms "measurable but uneven³" improvement in Iraq's security situation since the beginning of the year, and that further modest improvements can be expected.

But it also says that levels of insurgent⁴ and sectarian violence remain high, and that Iraqi forces cannot cope with the strife⁵ without the continuing presence of U.S. forces.

On the political front, its says the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been unable to achieve political reconciliation⁶ necessary to stability. It says his situation is likely to remain precarious for at least the next six to 12 months.

The new National Intelligence Estimate, which represents the highest collective judgment⁷ of the 16 U.S. agencies that deal in intelligence, is actually an update of one that was done on Iraqi security in January. As was done then, a summary of key judgments⁸ was released to the public, but the full estimate itself remains⁹ classified.

Its release comes at a crucial time. The U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, are due to present a report next month on the success of the so-called "surge" strategy of temporarily increasing U.S. troop levels in Iraq.

The intelligence estimate says that any drawdown of U.S. forces from a counterinsurgency role to one of just support for Iraqi forces would erode¹⁰ what modest security gains have been achieved.

National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the new estimate shows that although challenges remain, the president's strategy is working and should continue.

"Today's key [intelligence] judgments clearly show that the military's counterinsurgency strategy, fully¹¹ operational since midsummer, has begun to slow the rapidly increasing violence and patterns of that violence that we have been seeing in Iraq," he said.

On Wednesday, President Bush expressed his support for Prime Minister al-Maliki.

"Prime Minister Maliki is a good guy, a good man with a difficult job, and I support him," he said. "And it's not up to politicians in Washington, D.C. to say whether he will remain in his position - that is up to the Iraqi people who now live in a democracy, and not a dictatorship."

But, also citing the new estimate on lack of progress on the political front, Republican Senator John Warner, who has just returned from Iraq, called on President Bush Thursday to announce a token withdrawal¹² of some U.S. troops from Iraq to spur Iraqi leaders toward political reconciliation.

"Given the NIE [National Intelligence Estimate], which says 'Mr. President, it's up to 12 months before we can expect any particular degree of reconciliation,' we simply cannot as a nation stand and put our troops at continuous risk and the loss of life and limb without beginning to take some decisive action which will get everybody's attention," he said.

The estimate says Iran, concerned about growing Sunni power and U.S. efforts to contain Iran, has intensified¹³ funding, weaponry, and training to Iraqi Shi'ite militants¹⁴. But senior intelligence officials say they have detected no active presence of Iranian Revolutionary Guards or members of its elite¹⁵ al-Quds force inside Iraq. Any training, they say, seems to be conducted in camps on the Iranian side of the border.

The report adds that Syria has cracked down on infiltration¹⁶ by Sunni extremist groups into Iraq, but that Damascus is providing support to insurgent groups other than al-Qaida.

1 precarious   

adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的

参考例句：

• Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
• He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。

2 fortified   

adj. 加强的

参考例句：

• He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
• The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。

3 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

4 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。

5 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

6 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

7 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

8 judgments   

判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判

参考例句：

• A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
• He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。

9 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。

10 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

11 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

12 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

13 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

15 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

16 infiltration   

n.渗透；下渗；渗滤；入渗

参考例句：

• The police tried to prevent infiltration by drug traffickers. 警方尽力阻止毒品走私分子的潜入。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A loss in volume will occur if infiltration takes place. 如果发生了渗润作用，水量就会减少。 来自辞典例句