VOA慢速英语2014 在困难时期,伊拉克改变最高领导层

 

Iraq Changes Top Leadership at a Difficult Time 在困难时期,伊拉克改变最高领导层

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.

Nouri al-Maliki said Thursday that he would leave his position as prime minister of Iraq.  His decision opened the way for Haider Jawad al-Abadi to take Mr. Maliki’s place.

Former colleagues describe Mr. Abadi as a good speaker and a direct person who is open to the ideas of others.  He will need strong qualities.  Among the issues facing the new prime minister are extremist militancy¹, religious division and political disputes.

The man now responsible for leading Iraq out of crisis was born in Baghdad. But he has lived much of his life outside the country.   For example, he worked in Britain as an advisor² in the engineering industry until the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. 

His family suffered under the rule of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.  Saddam’s government arrested two of Mr. Abadi’s brothers in 1980 for their association with the Dawa Party and executed them two years later.  In 1981, the government arrested a third brother for the same reason.  That brother survived. But he spent 10 years in prison.

Mr. Abadi also was involved in the Dawa Party while in London.  He served as an active party leader in exile. 

He returned home to enter politics after Saddam was ousted³ from leadership. As communications minister, Mr.Abadi rebuilt  telephone systems that had been destroyed by war.  He also brought the first mobile and Internet communications services into the country.  

In 2005, he was elected to Parliament, then re-elected in March, 2010.  Last year, he led the finance committee.  The committee’s responsibility is to rebuild the Iraqi budget.

More recently Haider Jawad al-Abadi served as deputy speaker of Parliament.  The country held parliamentary elections in April.  Mr. Maliki’s coalition⁴ unexpectedly won a majority of the seats.  His coalition is called “State of Law.”  On July 24, the new Parliament chose Fuad Masoum, a Kurd, as Iraq’s new president.

 The Constitution gives the president two weeks to choose a prime minister.  That top official must come from Parliament’s largest group. 

 So Nouri al-Maliki felt sure that he would serve a third term.  But he has lost political support since his last appointment.  Many blame him for the religious divisions in Iraq.  He also is accused of widespread corruption⁵.  And critics say he has permitted the growth in power of Islamic militants⁶ who have seized much of the country’s north and west. 

Mr. Masoum twice extended the deadline – the time by which a prime minister must be named.  Mr. Maliki broadcast a threat to take legal action against Mr. Masoum.  On August 11,  Mr. Masoum named Mr. Abadi to the top office.

In recent days, Mr. Abadi has promised to fight corruption and protect all Iraqis.  He called on citizens to forget their differences and unite toward common goals for the future.  He promised that Mr. Maliki would continue as an important political partner. And he praised the former leader for his efforts to deal with terrorism.

Haider Jawad al-Abadi also promised to rebuild and retrain Iraq’s army so it can defeat Islamic militants.

From VOA Learning English, that’s IN THE NEWS. 

1 militancy   

n.warlike behavior or tendency

参考例句：

• Full of militancy and revolutionary ardour, the people of all nationalities in the country are working hard for the realization of the four modernizations. 全国各族人民意气风发， 斗志昂扬，为实现四个现代化而奋战。
• The seniority system is another factor that leads to union militancy. 排资论辈制度也是导致工会好斗争的另一因素。

2 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

3 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

4 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

5 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。

6 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。