VOA标准英语2010年-US Formally Ends Combat Mission in Ira

At a colorful ceremony in one of Saddam Hussein's old palaces outside Baghdad, the U.S. military formally ended its combat role in Iraq and passed command of the remaining 50,000 American troops to a new four-star general.

 

A U.S. military band played as American and Iraqi flags flew, and American and Iraqi troops and civilians¹ filled the cavernous atrium of the Al-Faw palace to watch U.S. Vice² President Joe Biden preside over the ceremony.

"We have kept a promise, a promise made to the American people and to the people of Iraq by drawing down our forces to roughly 50,000, and we are on track to remove all of our troops by the end of next year, according to the agreement signed by President Bush, made with the Iraqi government," Biden said.

Biden noted³ the sacrifice of American and Iraqi forces, and of Iraqi civilians.  He noted that more than one million U.S. troops have been assigned to Iraq during the last seven-and-a-half years.  And the vice-president said American involvement with Iraq will continue, not only with the thousands of troops advising its military, but with a surge of diplomats⁴ and aid workers.

"Our goal is not just a physically⁵ secure Iraq, but an economically prosperous and stable one as well," Biden stated.

To that end, the vice president urged Iraqi politicians to end their nearly six-month impasse⁶ and form a new government.

Insurgent⁷ attacks continue in Iraq, some of them on a very large scale.  But Mr. Biden said overall violence in Iraq is at its lowest level since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

The outgoing commander, General Ray Odierno, who has spent a total of 55 months commanding troops in Iraq at various levels, said this is the right time to end the combat mission.  "Even today there are those who doubt that the Iraqi security forces are ready to take full responsibility for security," he said. "I stand before you today and say they are ready to do that task."

Odierno said Iraq will always be a part of him and he looks forward to coming back to visit.

U.S. Defense⁸ Secretary Robert Gates, who traveled from Washington for the ceremony, credited General Odierno with successfully implementing¹⁰ the surge and counterinsurgency strategy when it was adopted in 2007, and seeing the job through to the end.

"He helped craft, and implemented¹¹ the strategy that led to the dramatic decreases in violence of the past three years.  Without Ray's and his troops' ability to turn plans into results on the ground, we would be facing a far grimmer situation outside these walls today, and more broadly, a strategic disaster for the United States," Gates said.

The incoming commander, General Lloyd Austin was Odierno's deputy a year ago, and comes directly from the top job on the joint¹² military staff at the Pentagon. "Make no mistake, our military forces here and those of the Iraqi nation remain committed to ensuring that our friends in Iraq succeed, and we will demonstrate our commitment through a continued partnership¹³ with the Iraqis," Austin said.

The troops General Austin now commands are fully⁹ capable U.S. Army brigades, but their mission is to "advise and assist" the Iraqi Army and police.  That means they will sometimes go on patrol with the Iraqis, but their job will be to train and to call in support as needed, not to lead or fight.

But the still substantial number of American troops here can help in an emergency, and analysts¹⁴ say they will also serve as a stabilizing¹⁵ influence to help prevent ethnic¹⁶ and sectarian tensions from again flaring¹⁷ into violence.
 

1 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 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。

4 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

6 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

7 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

11 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

12 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

13 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

14 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

15 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

16 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

17 flaring   

a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的

参考例句：

• A vulgar flaring paper adorned the walls. 墙壁上装饰着廉价的花纸。
• Goebbels was flaring up at me. 戈塔尔当时已对我面呈愠色。