2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Says He Will Pull Some US Troops From Iraq

By Scott Stearns
Washington
14 September 2007

President Bush says he will start pulling some U.S. troops out of Iraq this month because his decision to send reinforcements earlier this year has been a success. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, opposition¹ Democrats² say more troops should come home sooner.

President Bush speaks from Oval Office of White House, 13 Sep 2007

President Bush says he will bring nearly 6,000 U.S. troops home from Iraq by the end of the year. "The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is return on success. The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home," he said.

His new plan would continue to cut U.S. troops through the middle of 2008, leaving about 130,000 Americans in Iraq. In a nationwide address, Mr. Bush says those reductions are possible because his decision to send reinforcements earlier this year has improved security.

His return on success strategy appears designed to keep lawmakers from his own political party behind him in the face of opposition efforts to bring more U.S. troops home sooner. "Whatever political party you belong to, whatever your position on Iraq, we should be able to agree that America has a vital interest in preventing chaos³ and providing hope in the Middle East. We should be able to agree that we must defeat al Qaeda, counter Iran, help the Afghan government, work for peace in the Holy Land, and strengthen our military so we can prevail in the struggle against terrorists and extremists," he said.

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Senator Jack Reed

In the Democratic response to the president's address, Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed says it is time to change course in Iraq by rapidly beginning a reduction of troops. "Our proposal can not erase⁵ the mistakes of the last four and a half years, but we can chart a better way forward. That is why our plan focuses on counter-terrorism and training the Iraqi army. It engages in diplomacy⁶ to bring warring factions⁷ to the table and addresses regional issues that inflame⁸ the situation. It begins a responsible and rapid redeployment of our troops out of Iraq. And it returns our focus to those who seek to do us harm: Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups," he said.

A public opinion poll by the Associated Press this week shows that nearly two-thirds of Americans disapprove⁹ of the president's handling of the war.

President Bush tried to close that gap Thursday by saying that those who believe success in Iraq is essential to America's security are not so far from those who believe U.S. troops should come home now. "The way forward I have described tonight makes it possible, for the first time in years, for people who have been on opposite sides of this difficult debate to come together," he said.

The president again sought to link the war with security at home, saying the nation must succeed for the safety of future generations of Americans.

Senator Reed says what he calls an endless and unlimited¹⁰ military presence in Iraq is not an option. "Democrats and Republicans in Congress and throughout the nation can not and must not stand idly by while our interests throughout the world are undermined and our Armed Forces are stretched toward the breaking point," he said.

Democrats say the president's surge of troops has failed to achieve what he said was its primary objective - to give Iraq's leaders the chance to reach political reconciliation¹¹.

President Bush says Iraq's leaders are getting some things done by passing a budget, sharing oil revenues with provinces, and allowing former Ba'athists to rejoin Iraq's military or receive government pensions.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

4 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

5 erase   

v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕迹

参考例句：

• He tried to erase the idea from his mind.他试图从头脑中抹掉这个想法。
• Please erase my name from the list.请把我的名字从名单上擦去。

6 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

7 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

8 inflame   

v.使燃烧；使极度激动；使发炎

参考例句：

• Our lack of response seemed to inflame the colonel.由于我们没有反应,好象惹恼了那个上校。
• Chemical agents manufactured by our immune system inflame our cells and tissues,causing our nose to run and our throat to swell.我们的免疫系统产生的化学物质导致我们的细胞和组织发炎，导致我们流鼻水和我们的喉咙膨胀。

9 disapprove   

v.不赞成，不同意，不批准

参考例句：

• I quite disapprove of his behaviour.我很不赞同他的行为。
• She wants to train for the theatre but her parents disapprove.她想训练自己做戏剧演员，但她的父母不赞成。

10 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

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。