2007年VOA标准英语-Coming Weeks Crucial for Iraq's Prime Minister

By Margaret Besheer
Irbil, Iraq
17 July 2007

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki

Political pressure on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is growing in Washington as well as Baghdad. VOA's Margaret Besheer reports from Iraq that the coming weeks could be make or break for the Maliki government.

Last week, the White House issued an interim¹ progress report on Iraq. It found Mr. Maliki's government has made satisfactory progress on only eight of 18 security and political benchmarks set by the U.S. Congress.

Mr. Bush says he still has confidence in Mr. Maliki, but at home political support for the prime minister continues to deteriorate², and talk of a Cabinet re-organization and possibly a no-confidence vote continues to grow.

Iraqi parliament member Safia Taleb al-Suhail, of the Iraqi National List of Iyad Allawi, says it is still unclear what will happen in the coming weeks.

"There are some negotiations³ taking place between different political groups, including al-Dawa, which is Prime Minister Maliki's group," said al-Suhail. "The change might be having again al-Maliki heading the Cabinet, but the changing of the ministries⁴. Or we might have a fully⁵ changed Cabinet. But it depends on the negotiations which are taking place right now in Baghdad. It is not clear yet."

Until recently, Mr. Maliki received strong backing from legislators loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. But in April, six Sadrist ministers quit the Cabinet and since then relations with Mr. Maliki have continued to deteriorate.

A member of the Sadrist bloc⁶ in parliament, Bahaa A'raji, says a major Cabinet re-organization is necessary.

"We think the next six weeks are very hot in Baghdad," said A'raji. "Al-Maliki must do something or he must change all the cabinet and he must bring ministers [who are] independent technocrats⁷."

But A'raji says he does not think Maliki will be able to make the necessary changes, and ultimately will be replaced.

Independent Kurdish legislator Mahmoud Othman agrees the prime minister and his government have not been up to the job.

"I think he has failed. This government has failed," said Othman. "Since long ago, not now, really. From the start they were not capable of doing the job. Neither Maliki nor his ministers are capable of doing the job. I think they have failed their test since months, not now."

Othman says the prime minister could be in jeopardy⁸ of losing his job beginning in September, when the next progress report on the surge of U.S. forces in Iraq is due in Congress.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh dismisses the possibility of a no-confidence vote against Mr. Maliki, but concedes that a Cabinet re-organization is in the works.

"There is a deficiency in the government. Some of the ministers are not qualified⁹ enough to provide the services which Iraqis want," said al-Dabbagh. "That is why the prime minister is thinking of reshuffling, and a major reshuffling, to have better and efficient and intellectual ministers, in order to have better services for Iraqis."

The Iraqi parliament is scheduled to recess¹⁰ for the month of August. Most think a change is likely when the assembly reconvenes in September.

1 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

2 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 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。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

7 technocrats   

n.技术专家，专家政治论者( technocrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Few business barons remained. They were replaced by "technocrats," who became the heads of corporations. 企业巨头所剩无几，大多已被“技术专家”所代替，这些人成了公司的领导。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• However, bankers called the technocrats' bluff and proceeded to lend with gusto. 但是，银行家们称技术专家官员不过在虚张声势，并且还会乐观的继续借贷业务。 来自互联网

8 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

9 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

10 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。