2007年VOA标准英语-Gates Seeks $190 Billion More for Wars in Iraq,

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
26 September 2007

U.S. Defense¹ Secretary Robert Gates has asked Congress to approve nearly $190 billion more in funding for the military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He made his request at Senate Appropriations² Committee hearing Wednesday, as VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

Secretary of Defense Gates says the additional money is needed to train more Iraqi and Afghan security forces, buy new armored vehicles that can protect U.S. troops against roadside bombs, refurbish equipment worn down by combat and consolidate³ U.S. bases in Iraq.

Gates urged quick approval of the money, which is for the new budget year beginning Monday.

"I urge the Congress to approve the complete global war on terror request as quickly as possible, and without excessive and counterproductive restrictions," he said.

But the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, a staunch opponent of the Iraq war, reiterated⁵ his criticism of President Bush's troop surge strategy and cautioned Gates that his panel's approval of the funding request would not be automatic.  The comments were applauded by anti-war demonstrators, who repeatedly disrupted the hearing.

"We cannot create a democracy at the point of a gun.  Sending more guns does not change that reality," he said.  "This committee will not, N-O-T, rubber stamp every request that is submitted by the president."

Byrd noted⁶ that the administration's latest request would bring the total appropriated to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to more than $600 billion.

Secretary Gates acknowledged that the unpopular war in Iraq continues to be what he called a source of friction⁷ within Congress, between Congress and the president, and in the wider public debate.  But he said he hoped lawmakers would keep the safety and security of U.S. forces in mind when considering the funding request.

Earlier, the Senate voted 75 to 23 to approve a nonbinding measure that calls for promoting a federal system of government in Iraq based on provisions in the Iraqi constitution.

The measure, contained in an amendment⁸ to a defense bill, calls for allowing Iraq to divide along ethnic⁹ lines, with Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish regions controlling their own police and government services, and a central government in Baghdad protecting Iraq's borders and distributing oil revenues. 

After the vote, the chief sponsor, Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden of Delaware, said the plan offers a path to a political solution in Iraq that could allow U.S. troops to eventually go home.

"What we said today was, there is a way, Mr. President, to end this war in a way that we are able ultimately to bring our troops home but leave a stable Iraq behind," said Mr. Biden.

The Senate also approved on a 76 to 22 vote a non-binding resolution urging the State Department to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization.

Some Democratic critics said the legislation could be interpreted as a congressional authorization¹⁰ of military force against Iran, a concern dismissed by key sponsor, Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who calls himself an independent Democrat⁴:

"There is no intention here to authorize¹¹ the use of force against Iran," he said.

The Bush administration has been considering designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group, which would subject the organization to economic and diplomatic sanctions.

The administration has blamed the Guard's foreign operations arm, the Quds force, of providing training and arms to Iraqi insurgents¹² to attack U.S. troops, accusations¹³ that Iran has denied.

1 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。

2 appropriations   

n.挪用（appropriation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• More commonly, funding controls are imposed in the annual appropriations process. 更普遍的作法是，拨款控制被规定在年度拨款手续中。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Should the president veto the appropriations bill, it goes back to Congress. 假如总统否决了这项拨款提案，就把它退还给国会。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

3 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

4 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

5 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

6 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。

7 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

8 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

9 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。

10 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

11 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

12 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

13 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。