2007年VOA标准英语-Iraqi Official Says US Both Source and Solution

By Michael Bowman
Washington
09 April 2007

A senior advisor¹ to Iraq's government says U.S. efforts to forge democracy in his country have been disastrous², but that the United States remains³ the only power capable of rectifying⁴ the situation. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington, where Ali Allawi, who has headed three Iraqi ministries⁵ since 2003, spoke⁶ with reporters.

The Occupation of Iraq, by Ali Allawi

In a newly published book, The Occupation of Iraq, Ali Allawi a cousin of former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, blasts what he terms the "monumental ignorance" of those in the United States who advocated and planned the 2003 invasion of his country. He alleges⁷ that critical mistakes were made after Saddam Hussein's ouster, such as disbanding Iraq's armed forces, and blasts what he terms the "rank amateurism and swaggering arrogance⁸" of the U.S.-led former Coalition⁹ Provisional Authority that governed Iraq after the invasion.

Speaking at Washington's National Press Club on the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad to U.S.-led forces, Allawi says the post-invasion years have been a grave disappointment - a story of, in his words, "what could have been."

"After the invasion of Iraq, there was a set of policy decisions that were not only inappropriate and inexplicable¹⁰, but in the context were incoherent," said Ali Allawi. "And this is really quite surprising, because we know the abilities and capabilities¹¹ of the United States. We know what the United States did in similar contexts where it took on the responsibility of rebuilding states or entire continents."

Allawi says the Iraqi state the United States helped create is "dysfunctional." In a particularly pointed¹² commentary, he says the state is more corrupt¹³ and less competent today than it was under Saddam Hussein.

But for all the failings and shortcomings, Allawi does not call for U.S. disengagement from Iraq. In fact, despite what he views as the poor U.S. track record when it comes to efforts in his nation, Allawi says the United States is the only power capable of helping¹⁴ to foster conditions in Iraq that will lead to a brighter future.

"I do not think we should write off the United States simply because the last four years have been a failed engagement in Iraq," he said. "It is the only country that has the means and resources to be able to effect real change on the ground. Frankly¹⁵, I think any other country would have sunk a long time ago [in Iraq], given the stresses inside the country."

Allawi, who was educated in the United States and Britain and has held positions with the World Bank, says the United States should lead an international conference on Iraq in which all Iraqi factions¹⁶ and all of Iraq's neighbors come together to map out a way forward for his nation and the region as a whole.

The Bush administration has admitted that critical mistakes were made after the invasion of Iraq and the toppling of Saddam Hussein. But U.S. officials insist that corrective steps have been taken over the years, and that the mission in Iraq is under constant review to improve operations and adjust to changing conditions on the ground.

Currently, the United States is boosting its troop level in Iraq. The build-up is scheduled to be completed in June, but administration officials say the initiative is already showing some positive signs that suggest improved security in targeted areas of Baghdad and one of Iraq's violence plagued provinces.

The goal is to curb¹⁷ civil strife¹⁸ and terrorist attacks, which have been major impediments to the consolidation¹⁹ of democratic rule in the country.

1 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。

2 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

3 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。

4 rectifying   

改正，矫正( rectify的现在分词 )； 精馏； 蒸流； 整流

参考例句：

• James Gregory gave in in his "Geometriae Pars Universalis" a method of rectifying curves. James Gregory在他的《几何的通用部分》中给出了计算曲线长度的方法。
• Significant progress was made in rectifying and standardizing nonbank financial institutions. 整顿和规范非银行金融机构取得重要进展。

5 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

6 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。

7 alleges   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
• Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。

8 arrogance   

n.傲慢，自大

参考例句：

• His arrogance comes out in every speech he makes.他每次讲话都表现得骄傲自大。
• Arrogance arrested his progress.骄傲阻碍了他的进步。

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

10 inexplicable   

adj.无法解释的，难理解的

参考例句：

• It is now inexplicable how that development was misinterpreted.当时对这一事态发展的错误理解究竟是怎么产生的，现在已经无法说清楚了。
• There are many things which are inexplicable by science.有很多事科学还无法解释。

11 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

12 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

13 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

14 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

15 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

16 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

17 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

18 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

19 consolidation   

n.合并,巩固

参考例句：

• The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• The state ensures the consolidation and growth of the state economy. 国家保障国营经济的巩固和发展。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法