VOA常速英语2008年-US Officials Want More NATO Help In Afghanistan

By Kent Klein
Washington
12 March 2008

Several U.S. Senators and a high-ranking U.S. military official say America's allies in NATO should send more troops to fight the war in Afghanistan. VOA's Kent Klein reports from Washington.

 

With the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania less than a month away, U.S. officials speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee assessed the alliance's performance in fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Most of them agreed that the European NATO members' participation¹ in the mission has been vital to the progress that has been made in Afghanistan. But many of the speakers were critical of some NATO countries' restrictions² that keep their troops off the front lines. Democratic Senator Joseph Biden is the committee chairman.

"But the so-called national caveats³ are making a mockery, in my view, of NATO and the notion of a unified⁴ mission," said Senator Biden. "One ally can fight here but not another place. Another ally can do this but not that. In my view, you're either in this fight or you're not."

U.S. Army General John Craddock is the supreme⁵ allied⁶ commander for Europe at NATO Headquarters in Belgium. He told the committee that the restrictions need to be eased.

"These caveats, like shortfalls, increase the risk to every soldier, sailor, airman and Marine⁷ employed in theater," said General Craddock.

At the NATO summit, President Bush plans to thank the other alliance members for their commitments in Afghanistan. But he is expected to ask the allies to do even more.

The overall situation in Afghanistan is still a reason for concern, according to Daniel Fried, the Acting⁸ Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs.

"Levels of violence are up, particularly in the south," said Daniel Fried. "The border areas with Pakistan provide a haven⁹ for terrorists. Civil-military cooperation does not work as well as it should."

But Fried does see some reasons for hope.

"It's worth recalling that six million Afghan children now go to school, one-third of them girls," he said. "That's two million girls in school, when under the Taleban there were none. Zero."

All 26 NATO member nations are taking part in the mission in Afghanistan, but some of them are not willing to send more troops into the country.

1 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 caveats   

警告

参考例句：

• I would offer a caveat for those who want to join me in the dual calling. 为防止发生误解，我想对那些想要步我后尘的人提出警告。 来自辞典例句
• As I have written before, that's quite a caveat. 正如我以前所写，那确实是个警告。 来自互联网

4 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

7 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。

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。