2007年VOA标准英语-Independent US Panel Says Iraq More Than a Year

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
06 September 2007

A report by a panel of retired¹ senior U.S. military officers has concluded that Iraq's security forces will not be able to take over the country's security from U.S. troops for 12 to 18 months. The report was released to Congress Thursday, just days before the Bush administration is to present its own assessment² of the situation in Iraq. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

Members of the Iraqi Security Forces Independent Assessment Commission during hearing of Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill, 06 Sept 2007

Retired Marine³ General James Jones, who heads the commission established by Congress, says Iraqi security forces have a mixed record of success.

"This Iraqi army cannot yet operate independently due to a continuing lack of logistics, supply, mobility⁴ and effective national command and control," he said. "While it cannot defend against external threats to the nation, particularly along the borders of Syria and Iran, it is able to do more each day responding to threats along the lines of internal security."

In testimony⁵ to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jones praised gains made by the Iraqi army in its ability and willingness to defend against internal threats to the nation. He called Iraq's special forces the most capable and effective unit in Iraq and as good as any in the Gulf⁶ region, but said they still lack mobility and support systems.

But Jones offered a harsh assessment of Iraq's national police force, saying its progress has been unsatisfactory.

"The commission has recommended disbanding and reorganizing the national police, which is judged to be overly sectarian - composed of 85 percent Shia policemen, heavy-handed in their mission execution, not trusted by people of other ethnic⁷ origins," he said. "There are allegations of corruption⁸ that pervade⁹ the force as well."

Jones underscored the importance of Iraqi political consensus¹⁰ in stemming the violence.

"The most positive event that can occur in the near term to influence progress in Iraq is a government-led political reconciliation¹¹, which leads to an end for a dramatic reduction in sectarian violence," he said. "Everything seems to flow from this point, to include the likelihood of a successful conclusion to our mission."

 

Congressional opponents and supporters of the U.S. military involvement in Iraq were quick to seize on various aspects of the commission findings to bolster¹² their arguments.

The chairman of the committee, Democratic Senator Carl Levin of Michigan noted¹³ that the commission expressed concern about what it calls a massive U.S. military logistical "footprint" in Iraq, which could send the unintended message that the United States is an occupying force.

Levin, who has called for a timetable for a withdrawal¹⁴ of U.S. forces from Iraq, also pressed General Jones about the panel's recommendation about a redeployment to counter such perceptions.

"You say that significant reductions, consolidations and realignments appear to be possible and prudent¹⁵, is that your finding," Levin asked.

"Yes," Jones replied.

But Senator John McCain, a supporter of the war effort who is seeking the Republican nomination¹⁶ for president, argued that setting a timetable for pulling out U.S. troops could undermine progress made in Iraq as he led into an exchange with General Jones.

"Do you believe that if we just set a timeframe for withdrawal that that would be in the United States' interest in the region," asked Senator McCain.

"Senator, speaking for myself on this, I think deadlines can work against us," Jones said.

This is the latest in a series of reports to Congress on the war effort ahead of the Bush administration's report to lawmakers next week by the top commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker. The administration has urged members of Congress to wait for that status report before making their own assessments¹⁷ of the situation in Iraq.

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

3 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

4 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

5 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。

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

8 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

9 pervade   

v.弥漫，遍及，充满，渗透，漫延

参考例句：

• Science and technology have come to pervade every aspect of our lives.科学和技术已经渗透到我们生活的每一个方面。
• The smell of sawdust and glue pervaded the factory.工厂里弥漫着锯屑和胶水的气味。

10 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

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。

12 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

13 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

14 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。

15 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

16 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。

17 assessments   

n.评估( assessment的名词复数 )；评价；（应偿付金额的）估定；（为征税对财产所作的）估价

参考例句：

• He was shrewd in his personal assessments. 他总能对人作出精明的评价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Surveys show about two-thirds use such assessments, while half employ personality tests. 调查表明，约有三分之二的公司采用了这种测评；而一半的公司则采用工作人员个人品质测试。 来自百科语句