VOA标准英语2008年-Pentagon Denies Taliban Takeover in Afghan Dist

By Al Pessin
Pentagon
17 June 2008

The Pentagon says reports that Taliban forces have taken over several villages in southern Afghanistan are false, and that any Taliban offensive in the area will be defeated. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.
　

Afghan National Army searches passengers at checkpoint in Arghandab district near Kandahar, 17 Jun 2008

The Pentagon says a U.S. patrol in the Arghandab district of Kandahar Province Tuesday encountered no Taliban forces.

News reports continue to indicate that hundreds of Taliban fighters have taken control of eight villages in the area about 15 kilometers from Kandahar City, where Taliban fighters freed about 400 of their comrades from a prison on Friday. The reports quote local residents as saying the fighters are preparing for a major battle with U.S. and NATO forces. And a Taliban spokesman is quoted as saying his forces will attack selected targets in Kandahar City next.

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell says it is not surprising that some Taliban forces may be massing in some areas because this is the height of the usual summer fighting season.

"If indeed there is a mounting of Taliban forces in advance of an attempt to take Kandahar, they will be put back again," he said. "In talking to our folks, they do not have any imminent¹ concern that Kandahar is about to fall to the Taliban. Quite to the contrary, they remain confident that they have the necessary forces in place to secure RC [Regional Command]-South."

Morrell says there is no plan to further increase the number of U.S. forces in NATO's Regional Command-South, which includes Kandahar. But he says the command has the flexibility² to do that if it becomes necessary.

The United States sent 2,200 Marines to the volatile³ region earlier this year to beef up NATO's combat power.
　

Afghan President Hamid Karzai gestures during a press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, 15 Jun 2008

At his briefing Tuesday, the Pentagon press secretary also urged Afghan President Hamid Karzai not to send his troops across the border into Pakistan to attack militants⁴ based there. President Karzai made the threat on Sunday,

"In terms of an Afghan military operation across the border into Pakistan, that is not something that we feel is necessary at this point," he said. "Obviously, Pakistan is a sovereign country, so we would discourage them to take such a mission. And frankly⁵, there are significant internal threats to President Karzai's administration at this point that he and his forces are probably more immediately focused on. And so while his forces are increasingly capable, we would encourage them to maintain their focus within the borders of Afghanistan."

President Karzai's spokesman has indicated there is no plan for an imminent attack on Pakistan, and that the president was only making "a strong point" about the need for a crackdown on the militants.

1 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。

2 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

3 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

4 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

5 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。