VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Discusses New Afghan Strategy wi

 

U.S. President Barack Obama spoke¹ with Afghan President Hamid Karzai regarding the new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan early Tuesday via video conference.

Sean Maroney | Kabul 01 December 2009

US President Barack Obama at the White House (file photo)

"They talked about the new strategy, including security, military and economic issues," a spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai said.

U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with Afghan President Hamid Karzai regarding the new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan early Tuesday via video conference. President Obama is to unveil his strategy within hours.

A spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai tells VOA the hour-long discussion between the Afghan leader and U.S. President Barack Obama was friendly.

"They talked about the new strategy, including security, military and economic issues," he said.

Mr. Obama is scheduled to announce his new strategy during a speech later at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.

In the past few days, President Obama has held a series of telephone calls with U.S. allies to discuss his new strategy.  He is expected to send between 30,000 and 35,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

White House officials also have said a major goal will be to train Afghan forces so they can assume control of areas currently overseen² by foreign troops.  This has been the deadliest year for foreign troops in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban government eight years ago.

But for the plan to succeed, administration officials stress the United States needs a reliable partner in Kabul.

Afghan parliament member Daud Sultanzoi says he is surprised Mr. Obama is announcing his new strategy before President Karzai announces his new government.

"In my opinion, the Cabinet composition should have been a key litmus test for Mr. Obama," Sultanzoi said.

Sultanzoi says he believes it will be hard for the United States to hold a new Afghan government accountable when it technically³ does not yet exist.

Mr. Karzai was elected to a new term in November, after months of political uncertainty⁴ and a canceled presidential runoff. 

The first round of voting on August 20 was marred⁵ by widespread fraud, which mostly benefited Mr. Karzai.  His main challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew from the runoff scheduled for early November because he said he did not think a new vote would be fair.

Also, the problem of government corruption⁷ has reduced faith in the government in Afghanistan since Mr. Karzai first took office in early 2002.  Last month, Transparency International released a poll that showed Afghanistan is now perceived to be the second-most corrupt⁶ country in the world, behind Somalia.

 

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 overseen   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was overseen stealing the letters. 他被人撞见在偷信件。 来自辞典例句
• It will be overseen by ThomasLi, director of IBM China Research Laboratory. 该实验室由IBM中国研究院院长李实恭(ThomasLi)引导。 来自互联网

3 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

4 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

5 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

6 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

7 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。