2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Detours To Iraq Enroute To Asia-Pacific Su

By Paula Wolfson
Honolulu
03 September 2007

President Bush's surprise stop in Iraq marks the third time the president has managed to shroud¹ his travel plans to a war zone in secrecy². As White House Correspondent Paula Wolfson reports, the president's plans were known to only a few.

President Bush steps off Air Force One at Al-Asad Airbase in Anbar province, Iraq, 3 Sep 2007

White House reporters had an inkling that something was about to happen as they boarded the press plane at a Washington area Air Force base for the long journey to the Asia Pacific Summit in Australia. They were leaving with only a sketchy³ schedule for the president - something that almost never happens on a foreign trip. A few hours later, they learned why.

As the press plane headed west across the United States and over the Pacific to Hawaii, President Bush - who had slipped out a side door of the White House earlier in the day - was heading east over the Atlantic.

The handful of reporters on Air Force One were sworn to secrecy, their cell phones and laptops taken shortly after they left Washington. They had no way to get out the news until they landed in Iraq.

Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was on the plane with the president and Secretary of Defense⁴ Robert Gates was waiting when they touched down in al-Anbar province at a dusty, isolated⁵ air base that is home to 10,000 U.S. troops.

The White House has been showcasing Anbar as one of the success stories of the Iraq conflict - a part of the country that is slowly recovering from extreme violence with the help of Sunnis that are now working with the U.S. military.

"Today, Anbar is a really different place," said President Bush. "The level of violence is down. Local governments are - it is on a path to a better life."

President Bush (right) shakes hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki while President Jalal Talibani looks on

It was in Anbar that the president chose to meet with his top officials in Iraq - military commander General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. He also conferred with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and members of his government.

"General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker tell me if the kind of success we are now seeing continues, it will be possible to maintain the same level of security with fewer American forces," he said.

Petraeus and Crocker will testify before the U.S. Congress this week on the administration's military strategy and the impact an extra 30,000 American troops have had on the security situation. Their testimony⁶ is a prelude⁷ to a White House report on Iraq due on Capitol Hill on September 15.

During his appearance the president urged continued patience and support for his policies.

"When we begin to draw down troops in Iraq it will be from a position of strength and success, not from a position of fear and failure," said Mr. Bush.

White House officials say planning for the trip began five or six weeks ago. They say it was timed to coincide with the imminent⁸ release of the report to Congress, but took issue with the notion some might see the stop in Iraq as a publicity⁹ stunt¹⁰.

They say the president wanted to meet face-to-face not only with his commanders and the ambassador, but also members of the Maliki government so he could personally urge them to move toward political reconciliation¹¹.

1 shroud   

n.裹尸布，寿衣；罩，幕；vt.覆盖，隐藏

参考例句：

• His past was enveloped in a shroud of mystery.他的过去被裹上一层神秘色彩。
• How can I do under shroud of a dark sky?在黑暗的天空的笼罩下，我该怎么做呢？

2 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

3 sketchy   

adj.写生的，写生风格的，概略的

参考例句：

• The material he supplied is too sketchy.他提供的材料过于简略。
• Details of what actually happened are still sketchy.对于已发生事实的详细情况知道的仍然有限。

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 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

6 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

7 prelude   

n.序言，前兆，序曲

参考例句：

• The prelude to the musical composition is very long.这首乐曲的序曲很长。
• The German invasion of Poland was a prelude to World War II.德国入侵波兰是第二次世界大战的序幕。

8 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

9 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

10 stunt   

n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长

参考例句：

• Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
• Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。

11 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。