VOA标准英语2009年-US Studies Withdrawing More Troops from Iraq

A top American military commander says there could soon be a further reduction in the U.S. troop presence in Iraq, based on recommendations from commanders in the field. The head of U.S. Central Command, General David Petraeus, spoke¹ to reporters in Washington.
　

General Petreaus says progress made in Iraq may be less fragile and more durable2 than he had estimated six months ago

General Petraeus was asked whether he thinks he can meet President-elect Barrack Obama's 16-month timeline for a U.S. withdrawal³ from Iraq. He did not answer directly, but said more reductions are on the way soon. "We have, as you know, gone from 20 ground maneuver⁴ brigade combat teams down to 14. There are additional recommendations that we're examining right now that in the weeks ahead will probably surface. And we'll see where we go from there," he said.

General Petraeus commanded U.S. troops in Iraq until last October, and now supervises both the Iraq war and the Afghanistan war, as well as all U.S. military activity in the Middle East and Central Asia. He says the U.S. military role in Iraq has already changed, partly due to the new security agreement that took effect on January first, and he says more changes will come throughout this year.

"In so many respects this coming year is a year of transition, not just with the security agreement but also our forces will transform into a support, advisory⁶, assistance role over the course of the year ahead, as we are also reducing the numbers of our forces," he said.

General Petraeus has a key role in balancing the desire among U.S. military officers, and the president-elect, to increase the U.S. troop level in Afghanistan against concerns that too rapid a withdrawal from Iraq could lead to instability. Military officers say they can not send as many troops to Afghanistan as they would like until they can reduce the troop level in Iraq, where Petraeus repeated Thursday progress made in the last year remains⁷ "fragile."

The general would not say exactly when or how many troops he expects to take out of Iraq this year. But 10 days ago, the commandant of the U.S. Marine⁸ Corps⁹ told CBS News he wants to shift the troops he has in western Iraq to Afghanistan. Western Iraq is fairly quiet these days, and the marine commander, General James Conway, said he would rather have them in Afghanistan where there is more fighting to do against a resurgent Taliban.

At the same conference where General Petraeus spoke, sponsored by the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Iraqi government's National Security Advisor⁵ Moafaq al-Rubaie also spoke of a change in the U.S.-Iraq relationship this year. Al-Rubaie said the Iraqi government and the incoming Obama administration need to quickly negotiate an implementation¹⁰ plan for the other, less well-publicized agreement that went into effect on New Year's Day. That is a Strategic Framework Agreement, which outlines the long-term U.S.-Iraq strategic relationship.

"Bush era in Iraq was liberation, security, security, security. Obama era should be strategic relationship, more holistic¹¹ relationship, economy, education, cultural, scientific, religious relationship with the United States," he said.

Mr. al-Rubaie said such a program would ensure that Iraq is, in his words, "firmly…heading west."

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

3 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

4 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

5 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

6 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 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。

9 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• 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。

10 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

11 holistic   

adj.从整体着眼的，全面的

参考例句：

• There is a fundamental ambiguity in the use of word "whole" in recent holistic literature.在近代的整体主义著作中，“整体”这个词的用法极其含混。
• In so far as historicism is technological,its approach is not piecemeal,but "holistic".仅就历史决定论是一种技术而论，它的方法不是渐进的，而是“整体主义的”。