2007年VOA标准英语-New US General Warns Iraq 'Doomed' Without Coop

By Barry Newhouse
Irbil
10 February 2007

General David Petraeus has taken over as commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, during a time that he called a "decisive moment" for the country's future. In an address at his official handover ceremony Saturday, General Petraeus said the prospects² for ending violence are good. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from northern Iraq.

 
New US commander in Iraq General David Petraeus speaks during a handover ceremony in Baghdad
During Saturday's ceremony at the U.S. military's "Camp Victory" base in western Baghdad, General Petraeus told the audience that sharing the burden of creating security in Iraq is essential to the country's future. He said that if military forces and the Iraqi people can work together, then the prospects for success are good.

"Failing that, Iraq will be doomed³ to continued violence and civil strife⁴, and, surely, that is a prospect¹ that all must strive to avoid," he said.

General Petraeus takes command at the beginning of a new effort to rid Baghdad of the brutal⁵ sectarian violence that has purged⁶ neighborhoods of religious and ethnic⁷ minorities and crippled economic growth.

 
General David Petraeus, second from left, is handed a flag by a staff member for Gen. George Casey, second from right, as he takes over as top commander for U.S. troops in Iraq, 10 Feb. 2007

The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed General Petraeus to lead the 135,000 U.S. forces in Iraq, even though many lawmakers oppose the security operation that he is expected to oversee⁸. 

Democratic Senator John Kerry on Saturday called the plan "an escalation⁹ of a misguided war." 

"Another 21,000 troops sent into Iraq, with no visible end or strategy, ignores the best advice from our own generals, and isn't the best way to keep faith with the courage and commitment of our soldiers," he said.

On Saturday in Baghdad, a policeman searching cars at one of the new checkpoints that are part of the increased security said local people have supported the new measures.

He says, the people have been very cooperative and positive, and, so far, they have not had any problems.

But while some are optimistic about the plan's chances for success, many Baghdad residents are cautious after enduring years of violence. Abu Wasim is a businessman visiting family in northern Iraq this week to escape the near-daily shootings, bombings and kidnappings in his Baghdad neighborhood.

He says, "We must wait to see what happens on the ground, then we can see if the plan will succeed."

Wasim says he has seen attempts to improve security in Baghdad before, and yet the situation in his neighborhood is as bad as it has ever been.

1 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

2 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

3 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

4 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。

5 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

6 purged   

清除（政敌等）( purge的过去式和过去分词 )； 涤除（罪恶等）； 净化（心灵、风气等）； 消除（错事等）的不良影响

参考例句：

• He purged his enemies from the Party. 他把他的敌人从党内清洗出去。
• The iron in the chemical compound must be purged. 化学混合物中的铁必须清除。

7 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。

8 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

9 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句