2006年VOA标准英语-US Ambassador to Iraq Testifies Before Congress

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington, D.C.
14 July 2006
 
watch report on Iraq

The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, says the diverse ethnic¹ and sectarian communities in Iraq are engaged in an unprecedented³ discussion about their national identity. But the envoy⁴ also notes that sectarian violence among Iraqis has become a greater threat to the country's security than the insurgency⁵ or foreign terrorism.

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US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad gives an update on the situation in Iraq during an appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill
  
Testifying at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Ambassador Khalilzad said the decision by Iraq's minority Sunni Muslims to participate in the country's political process represents a "tectonic shift" in that community's political orientation⁶.  The ambassador said Shiites have advanced the Iraqi political process through restraint in the face of terrorist provocation⁷.  He added that Kurds have also contributed to the dialogue through a commitment to remain part of Iraq.  Khalilzad said this is an unprecedented development in a country where Iraqi identity was once determined⁸ by imperial powers or autocrats⁹.

"Now, for the first time, all Iraqis have participated in the elections,” said the ambassador. “They have sat across the table from each other, arguing about federalism, arguing about, say, the nature of the state, what powers should be given to what institutions, rules and procedures for decision-making, programs and so on."

But Democratic Party Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware said his trips to Iraq lead him to a different assessment¹¹ of Iraqi identity. "My impression is that there is a growing identification, ‘I'm Sunni,’ ‘I'm Shia,’ as opposed to, ‘I'm Iraqi.’ So count me as a skeptic¹² on that."

Another Democrat¹⁰, California Senator Barbara Boxer¹³ cited figures, which indicate that incidents of sectarian violence in Iraq have increased from 20 to 250 per month since last year.  Senator Boxer also quoted from a Washington Post newspaper report in which a Sunni legislator questions the viability¹⁴ of the new Iraqi government.

"Quote:  'The parliament cannot reach practical solutions because their minds are concerned only with their sect² and not the interests of the nation. It looks like this government is going to collapse¹⁵ very soon.'  A Shiite legislator in the same article says, 'Certainly, what is happening is the start of the civil war.'  That's a quote," said Senator Boxer.

Ambassador Khalilzad rejected those statements as political rhetoric¹⁶.  But he acknowledged that sectarianism represents a fault line in Iraqi society, which is being exploited by terrorists bent¹⁷ on toppling the country's new government.  He also pointed¹⁸ to a growing split between the Sunni insurgency and al-Qaida.

"A divide has opened up between the Iraqi Sunni Arab insurgency and al-Qaida and irreconcilable¹⁹ elements,” said Ambassador Khalilzad, “as evidenced by the fact that some insurgent²⁰ groups have offered to provide intelligence or to conduct operations against the terrorists."

Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island noted²¹ that Iraq has so far cost hundreds of billions of dollars, 2500 American military deaths and even more Iraqi lives.  Chafee then asked about America's future military commitment.

"Do you honestly foresee a permanent presence, American military presence, in the Middle East?"

The ambassador replied, "Those are decisions that are, of course, way above my pay grade. But certainly I think the military is an element of our strategy – it has got to be to deal with the problems. How we configure our military posture²² to deal with the problems of the region as an element of the overall strategy, I'll leave it to the Pentagon planners and to the Secretary of Defense²³."

Ambassador Khalilzad said America should not abandon Iraq, not only because of its strategic interest in the Middle East, but also for moral reasons, because the United States has, as he put it,  "a role in bringing about this set of circumstances in which Iraqis find themselves."

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 sect   

n.派别，宗教，学派，派系

参考例句：

• When he was sixteen he joined a religious sect.他16岁的时候加入了一个宗教教派。
• Each religious sect in the town had its own church.该城每一个宗教教派都有自己的教堂。

3 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

4 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

5 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

6 orientation   

n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍

参考例句：

• Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
• The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。

7 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

8 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

9 autocrats   

n.独裁统治者( autocrat的名词复数 )；独断专行的人

参考例句：

• Still, the widespread pessimism doesn't explain the relatively high scores enjoyed by the autocrats. 不过，普遍的悲观情绪并没有解释为何独裁者得到相对较高的分数。 来自互联网

10 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

11 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？

12 skeptic   

n.怀疑者，怀疑论者，无神论者

参考例句：

• She is a skeptic about the dangers of global warming.她是全球变暖危险的怀疑论者。
• How am I going to convince this skeptic that she should attention to my research?我将如何使怀疑论者确信她应该关注我的研究呢？

13 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

14 viability   

n.存活(能力)

参考例句：

• What is required to achieve or maintain such viability? 要达到或维持这种生存能力需要什么？
• Scientists are experimenting to find ways to ensure the viability of seeds for even longer periods of time. 正如我们所说，科学家正在试验努力寻找让种子的生命力更加延长的方法。

15 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

16 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

17 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

18 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。

19 irreconcilable   

adj.（指人）难和解的，势不两立的

参考例句：

• These practices are irreconcilable with the law of the Church.这种做法与教规是相悖的。
• These old concepts are irreconcilable with modern life.这些陈旧的观念与现代生活格格不入。

20 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

21 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。

22 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

23 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。