2006年VOA标准英语-Frustrated Iraqis Indifferent to US Panel Recom

By Margaret Besheer
Irbil, Iraq
06 December 2006

Iraqis greeted a highly anticipated U.S. study on Iraq policy with little enthusiasm Wednesday.  Among its recommendations, the report says the United States should do more to encourage the Iraqi people to take control of their own future. VOA's Margaret Besheer has more from northern Iraq.

Iraq Study Group report

The Iraq Study Group's report says the situation is grave and deteriorating¹ and warns that the slide toward chaos² must be stopped.

In Baghdad, where dozens more Iraqis were killed or wounded Wednesday in new sectarian attacks, and more than 20 bodies were recovered around the capital, residents expressed their opinions about the report from the bipartisan 10-member panel.

One man says he thinks the report is intended to change U.S. policy in Iraq, as the current policy has failed.

Maan al-Obeidi, a professor in Baghdad, says U.S. officials are defeated in Iraq, so they are trying to find a way to get out of their predicament. He worries that outlet³ will be at the expense of the Iraqi people.

A university student told VOA the United States should change its policy in Iraq, because American troops are at an impasse⁴. He says if U.S. officials intend to fix Iraq's problems, America should alter its policy.

In northern Iraq's Kurdistan region, Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani tells VOA he considers the report incomplete, because the commission reviewing Iraq strategy did not visit the Kurdistan Region and discuss the issues with officials there.

The non-binding report makes 79 specific recommendations, among them, calling for a complete overhaul⁵ of U.S. Iraq policy, including talks with Iran and Syria, a withdrawal⁶ of most American combat troops by early 2008, and intensified⁷ pressure on Iraq's leaders to quell⁸ violence.

On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced that Iraq would hold a national reconciliation⁹ conference this month, and at a later date, would invite its neighbors to a regional conference on terrorism in Iraq.

The Iraqi government has already stepped up diplomatic efforts with its neighbors, resuming diplomatic relations with Syria and sending Iraq's president on a visit to Iran.

Mr. Maliki's office said he received a briefing on the contents of the Iraq Study Group report via videoconference with the commission co-chairs, James Baker¹⁰ and Lee Hamilton.

1 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

2 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

3 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

4 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。

5 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

6 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。

7 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。

9 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

10 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。