VOA标准英语2009年-Kerry: Afghan Surge Proposal 'Goes Too Far

By Meredith Buel
Washington
26 October 2009

 
Senator John Kerry (file photo)
John Kerry, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says a proposal to send as many as 40,000 more American troops to Afghanistan "goes too far and too fast". 

Speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations, Senator Kerry praised U.S. President Barack Obama's current review of the nation's strategy in Afghanistan.

Kerry said that after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, America had to take military action.

"With certainty, we all know why we invaded Afghanistan," said John Kerry. "It was not a mistake to go in. We now have to choose a smart way forward so that no one is ever compelled to ask whether we've made a mistake in staying."

The United States has nearly 68,000 troops in Afghanistan and there are about 40,000 from NATO and other allied¹ countries.

The top U.S. and NATO military commander there, Army General Stanley McChrystal, has warned the United States could lose the conflict if additional forces are not deployed².

The general reportedly is asking for as many as 40,000 additional troops - a figure Kerry said is too high.

"I am convinced, from my conversations with General Stanley McChrystal - and I'm grateful to him for the time he gave me there and even on the telephone since - he understands the necessity of conducting a smart counterinsurgency in a limited geographic³ area," he said. "But I believe his current plan reaches too far, too fast."

Kerry, during a recent trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan, is credited with playing a key role in convincing Afghan President Hamid Karzai to enter a run-off election, following wide-spread corruption⁴ that tainted⁵ the initial contest in August.

Kerry said now is not the time for a large surge of additional troops.

"We do not yet have the critical guarantees of governance and of development capacity - the other two legs of counterinsurgency," said Senator Kerry.

Kerry recommended speeding up the training and mentoring⁶ of the Afghan National Army and police so they can defend their own country.

He also said corruption must be reduced so there are honest local leaders who can partner with the United States and deliver services to restore the faith of Afghans in their own government.

The senator added that the cornerstone of U.S. strategy should be the effort to shift responsibility to the Afghan people.

"I define success as the ability to empower and transfer responsibility to Afghans as rapidly as possible, and achieve a sufficient level of stability to ensure that we can leave behind an Afghanistan that is not controlled by al-Qaida or the Taliban," he said.

Kerry warned that a quick U.S. pullout from Afghanistan could trigger a civil war. He said that a small-scale counterterrorism effort is not a viable⁷ alternative to the broader military operation now underway. 

1 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。

2 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

3 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 mentoring   

n.mentoring是一种工作关系。mentor通常是处在比mentee更高工作职位上的有影响力的人。他/她有比‘mentee’更丰富的工作经验和知识，并用心支持mentee的职业（发展）。v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• One of the most effective instruments for coaching and mentoring is the "role rehearsal" . 辅导和教学的最有效的手段之一是“角色排练。” 来自辞典例句
• Bell Canada called their mentoring system a buddy-buddy system. 加拿大贝尔公司称他们的训导系统是伙伴—伙伴系统。 来自互联网

7 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。