2006年VOA标准英语-US Intelligence Chief Says Estimate Not Assessm

By Gary Thomas
Washington
02 October 2006
 
The United States' top intelligence official says that although the Islamic-based terrorist movement is growing, counter-terrorism efforts have kept the threat in check. Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte says the recently revealed National Intelligence Estimate has been misunderstood.  VOA correspondent Gary Thomas talked with the intelligence chief and has this report.

----

		John Negroponte (File photo)

In a rare interview John Negroponte said the recently revealed National Intelligence Estimate has been mischaracterized.

"I think it is important to bear in mind that this is not a net assessment¹ of how we are doing in the war on terror," he said. "I think some people have mistaken our description of the current state of the al-Qaida movement in the world with how we are doing against it, although we point out right in the first line of the report that they have suffered some serious setbacks in recent years."

But, he adds, the estimate concludes the jihadist movement, as it has come to be known, continues to grow.

"The judgment² is that it is spreading. And the report talks abut³ some of the factors that fuel the jihadist movement: grievances⁴, poor governance, the situation in Iraq - those are among the factors that are cited, and the fact that a movement that was concentrated perhaps in certain parts of the world before, like in Afghanistan, has now manifested itself in a number of different locations, in South Asia, in Southeast Asia, and in the Middle East," noted⁵ Negroponte.

A National Intelligence Estimate is the highest collective judgment of the 16 agencies that make up the intelligence community on a given subject or area.

News of the latest terrorism estimate was first leaked to some leading U.S. news organizations last month. Most stories zeroed in on the point that the war in Iraq has worsened the terrorist threat by giving al-Qaida a recruiting motive⁶ and an operational training ground. The estimate has become a political issue in a mid-term election year. After it appeared, President Bush ordered portions of it declassified⁷.

Negroponte said that was necessary to clear up, what he said, were misperceptions about it.

"Once parts of the report have been selectively leaked, for whatever purpose, political or otherwise, there are times, then, when we feel obliged in order to set the record straight for the American public to declassify⁸ more of the report for the benefit of the American people to judge for themselves," he explained.

Progress in Iraq, where Negroponte served as U.S. ambassador, is mixed, the intelligence chief says.

"Certainly Iraq faces a very challenging and difficult situation. I think that there are probably areas of improvement and then there are areas of great difficulty," he added.

He acknowledges the growth in sectarian violence between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim militias⁹ as a significant threat to the fledgling Iraqi government.

"There has certainly been a rise in sectarian violence, of which we are all painfully aware, and that has been true since earlier this year," said Negroponte. "And I think it was sparked in part, certainly, by the bombing of a Shia mosque¹⁰ in Samarra, Iraq, on the 22nd of February."

The spy chief says the success or failure of efforts to curb¹¹ the violence in Baghdad will be key.

"But I think great efforts are being made to improve the situation. And the focus of that effort is in the city of Baghdad, where a large measure of the violence does occur," commented Negroponte. "And significant efforts are being undertaken by both the Iraqi government and its forces, as well as United States forces. And I think a lot hinges on the effectiveness of those efforts in the weeks and months ahead."

He says work has begun a separate National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq because there has been no NIE on Iraq in about four years, which, would date back to before the 2003 U.S. invasion and the toppling of Saddam Hussein. Director of National Intelligence Negroponte said the Iraq NIE will not be finished for some time, as he put it, but gave no timetable for its completion.

In Gary Thomas' next report of this 3-part series, Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte discusses the Iranian nuclear threat.

1 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

2 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

3 abut   

v.接界，毗邻

参考例句：

• The two lots are abut together.那两块地毗连着。
• His lands abut on the motorway.他的土地毗邻高速公路。

4 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

7 declassified   

adj.解密的v.对（机密文件等）销密( declassify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Thousands of classified documents have now been declassified. 数以千计的保密文件现在被解密了。
• The software used for Siemens S7-300 encryption logic block declassified. 此软件用于对西门子S7-300加密逻辑块解密。

8 declassify   

v.撤销保密

参考例句：

• These reports were only declassified last year.这些报告去年才被撤销了密级。
• Does the president have the power to declassify information?总统有权利解密相关信息吗？

9 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

10 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

11 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。