白宫表示现阶段没有在伊拉克增设军事基地的具体计划

White House: No Immediate¹ Plans for More Bases in Iraq 白宫表示现阶段没有在伊拉克增设军事基地的具体计划

WHITE HOUSE—

The White House says there are no immediate plans to open up more bases in Iraq. The remarks come a day after President Obama authorized² 450 additional troops to a fifth Iraqi base to assist local forces in the fight against the Islamic State militant³ group in Anbar province.

Chairman of the Joint⁴ Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, told reporters Thursday that U.S. troops stationed at al-Taqqadam Air Base in Anbar could be a model for additional hubs in Iraq, where American military personnel train, assist and advise Iraqi forces.

When asked about additional bases, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday there are no “immediate or specific plans” to add U.S. troops to Iraq, and that Dempsey’s comments simply reflect his role in long-term and contingency⁵ planning.

The spokesman noted⁶ that if President Obama’s military advisers⁷ did recommend opening another facility, it would reflect the fact that ongoing⁸ training efforts of Iraqi forces have been “useful.”

“Rather than being evidence of mission creep, it would be evidence of some progress in the ongoing mission to support the Iraqis as they take the fight to ISIL on the ground in their own country,” said Earnest.

Earnest responded to broader concerns of mission creep by noting the stark⁹ difference of the U.S. military presence in Iraq when President Obama took office in 2009 compared to the current mission in that country.

“There is a significant difference between 150,000 troops in a combat role and 3,500 U.S. troops in roles... not in a combat role...in a variety of roles,” said Earnest.

The 3,500 U.S. military personnel in Iraq include the 450 troops going to Anbar to train, advise, and assist Iraqi forces, particularly Sunni tribal¹⁰ fighters, in the fight to retake the provincial¹¹ capital Ramadi from Islamic State militants¹².

Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon says sending additional U.S. forces to Iraq is a good move, but not enough.

“Overall, I’m a little concerned about the Obama administration’s incrementalist approach, which I think concedes too much initiative to the enemy and also is somewhat too leisurely¹³ and slow,” said O’Hanlon.

Criticism echoed by others as the president struggles with a fight that he himself concedes is not a “short term proposition.”

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

3 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

5 contingency   

n.意外事件，可能性

参考例句：

• We should be prepared for any contingency.我们应该对任何应急情况有所准备。
• A fire in our warehouse was a contingency that we had not expected.库房的一场大火是我们始料未及的。

6 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。

7 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

8 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

9 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

10 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

11 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

12 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

13 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。