VOA标准英语2008年-US Military Commander Upbeat on Iraq

The commander of multi-national forces in Iraq's northern provinces reports significant progress in the battle against terrorists and insurgents¹, allowing the region to turn its attention to economic matters and other concerns. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington.
　
Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, commander of the U.S. forces in northern Iraq, gestures as he speaks at a press conference in Baghdad (File)

Despite a recent wave of suicide attacks in Iraq, U.S. Major General Mark Hertling says he has never been more hopeful about the country's future as he is right now.

"We have seen a sharp decline, not only in attacks, but [also] in foreign fighters traversing the western Ninawa deserts. And we have captured or killed dozens of mid² and high-level [terrorist] operatives in the province and in the city of Mosul itself. With the Iraqi army, we have also disrupted the flow of foreign terrorists from Syria," he said.

Hertling was speaking near Tikrit in a teleconference with reporters at the Pentagon.

The general says Iraqi army and police forces are growing in numbers and becoming more effective every day, contributing to a markedly-improved security situation in the country's northern provinces. As a result, he says residents and local governments have been able to devote greater attention to infrastructure³ and employment needs.

Hertling stresses that the battle against terrorists and insurgents is far from won. He says many combatants have been forced from cities like Mosul and are now attempting to regroup in villages and rural areas. This trend has necessitated⁴ a new initiative, called Operation Iron Pursuit, to hunt down terrorists outside urban areas.

"It is a very hopeful time in Iraq, but there are still a lot of enemy [fighters] out there, and in order to get the people of Iraq completely secure, we have to continue to go after al-Qaida and the other extremists," he added.

Hertling noted⁵ that Georgian troops serving in Iraq have been called home as a result of their country's ongoing⁶ conflict with Russia. But the general expressed confidence that the departure of Georgian forces, which total 2,000 in Iraq, would not significantly weaken multi-national operations.

 

1 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

2 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

3 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

4 necessitated   

使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Recent financial scandals have necessitated changes in parliamentary procedures. 最近的金融丑闻使得议会程序必须改革。
• No man is necessitated to do wrong. 没有人是被迫去作错事的。

5 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。

6 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。