VOA标准英语2012--NATO Approves Plans to Transfer Combat Operations in Afghanistan

 

NATO Approves Plans to Transfer Combat Operations in Afghanistan

After more than 10 years of war in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, leaders of the 28 countries of NATO have agreed to wind down their combat role.

Saying alliance forces are making progress towards defeating al-Qaida and denying it a safe-haven, President Barack Obama pledged that Afghan forces will take the lead in combat operations by the middle of next year.

“We’re now unified¹ behind a plan to responsibly wind down the war in Afghanistan, a plan that trains Afghan security forces, transitions to the Afghans and builds a partnership² that can endure after our combat mission in Afghanistan ends.," said President Obama.

The Taliban and al-Qaida-linked forces still regularly engage NATO troops in battle.

Analysts⁴ say that is why NATO needs to be careful about the speed of the withdrawal⁵.

South Asia analyst³ Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation:

“The situation in Afghanistan is still fragile," said Curtis. "It is still unstable⁶. The U.S. did make progress in 2010 with the surge forces in the south, but the question is can these gains be consolidated⁷, and I don’t think we can answer that question right now. And that is why the withdrawal of forces needs to be driven by conditions on the ground.”

NATO has agreed to continue to train, advise and support Afghan forces.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance is committed to a long-term partnership with the Afghan people.

“So that Afghanistan never again harbors terrorists that can attack us at home and so that Afghans can look forward to a better future in a stable region," he said.

The United States has pledged a continuing engagement in Afghanistan through 2024. Afghan President Hamid Karzai says his country.

"To make sure that we take steady and strong steps and are backed, while we are making those steps toward 2024, where Afghanistan will be largely defending itself and providing for itself," said Karzai.

The conference did not resolve the stalemate over reopening supply lines from Pakistan.

They have been closed since an American airstrike last November mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

That demonstrates there are still major problems in the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, says analyst Lisa Curtis.

“This did not help in terms of demonstrating the way forward in Afghanistan," she said. "It highlighted instead the problems that Pakistan still poses to stabilizing⁸ Afghanistan.”

About 130,000 foreign troops remain in Afghanistan. The U.S. plans to withdraw about 33,000 soldiers within the next few months. 

1 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

2 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。

3 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

4 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。

5 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。

6 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

7 consolidated   

a.联合的

参考例句：

• With this new movie he has consolidated his position as the country's leading director. 他新执导的影片巩固了他作为全国最佳导演的地位。
• Those two banks have consolidated and formed a single large bank. 那两家银行已合并成一家大银行。

8 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