2006年VOA标准英语-President Bush Reaffirms Support for Iraqi Prim

By Margaret Besheer
Washington
28 October 2006

Amid reports of tension between President Bush and Iraq's prime minister, Mr. Bush has reaffirmed his support for Nouri al-Maliki.

President Bush speaks during a rally  
  
In a show of unity¹, President Bush and the Iraqi prime minister have announced they are forming a high-level working group to improve security in Iraq.  The announcement followed a nearly hour-long video conference call between the two leaders Saturday. 

In a joint-statement, they said they have three common goals: to accelerate the pace of training the Iraqi Security Force; to have Iraqis assume command and control over those forces; and to transfer responsibility for security to the Iraqi government.

Cracks appeared in the U.S.-Iraqi relationship earlier this week, after U.S. officials appeared to press the Iraqi leader to accept a timetable of political reforms, aimed at ending his country's rising sectarian violence. Mr. al-Maliki said no outside power could decide his government's agenda, and added that he had his own plan for ending the bloodshed.
 
 
Nouri al-Maliki
  
Mr. Bush said Saturday that Mr. al-Maliki is a sovereign leader, whom the United States is assisting, and not "America's man in Iraq."

The war in Iraq has become increasingly unpopular among Americans, and with just 10 days to go before U.S. legislative² elections, President Bush was   campaigning Saturday for a Republican congressman³, and defending his Iraq policy.  Mr. Bush assured Republican supporters in the Midwest state of Indiana that his party has a plan for victory in Iraq.
 
"We have got a security track, so that these Iraqis can defend themselves," said Mr. Bush.  "We have got a political track so that the government is of and by and for the people.  We have got an economic track to help them realize vast potential of that country.  We will succeed. The only way we will not succeed is if we leave before the job is done."

Meanwhile, opposition⁴ Democrats⁵ urged voters to give control of Congress to their party, saying they would find a real way forward in Iraq.

Virginia Senate candidate Jim Webb, whose son is a Marine⁶ serving in Iraq, said in the Democrats' weekly radio address that what he called President Bush's "incompetence⁷" in Iraq has undermined the war on terrorism.

"Since 2003, President Bush has laid out nine different plans for victory in Iraq, none of them serious, and none of them workable," said Mr. Webb.  "And most seriously, this incompetence has hindered our ability to fight international terror."

If Democrats assume control of one or both houses of Congress through the November 7 elections, that could open the way for a new bipartisan effort to push for changes in the U.S. policy toward Iraq.

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

3 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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。

7 incompetence   

n.不胜任，不称职

参考例句：

• He was dismissed for incompetence. 他因不称职而被解雇。
• She felt she had been made a scapegoat for her boss's incompetence. 她觉得，本是老板无能，但她却成了替罪羊。