VOA慢速英语--U.S. Defense Secretary: For First Time, Afghan Military Fully Involved in Conflict

 

United States Defense¹ Secretary Jim Mattis has announced that, for the first time, the Afghanistan military is fully² involved in the war with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Mattis spoke³ with members of the U.S. Senate this week about the Trump⁵ administration’s Southeast Asia strategy.

He said, “For the first time in 16 years, we have all six Afghan army corps⁶ on the offensive at the same time.”

Mattis admitted that the Afghan forces have taken heavy losses in the fighting. But he said they are suffering fewer losses than they did last year. The decrease in losses could be a sign suggesting that the forces are improving their combat abilities, he said.

Trump administration strategy

Mattis also noted⁷ that under President Trump, international forces have launched more airstrikes against enemy forces than in any other year since 2012. One reason is because restrictions⁸ preventing strikes on insurgents⁹ beyond a certain distance from American or Afghan forces have been lifted.

The Trump administration announced its new Afghanistan strategy in August. The plan added about 3,000 American troops and additional NATO coalition¹⁰ partners to the Afghan fight. Most of those troops will advise and assist Afghan forces.

“Afghan special forces that have our trainers, they have won every time they fought the enemy,” said Mattis. “Those without have not won.”

He added that American and NATO airstrikes will let Afghan forces be “bolder” in combat.

“When they go into the fight, no longer will they worry about the high ground,” Mattis stated. “Having fought in mountainous country, it’s unpleasant to have the enemy above you … NATO airstrikes overhead denies the enemy ever having the high ground."

Still not enough?

But the chairman of the Joint¹¹ Chiefs of Staff, Joseph Dunford, told lawmakers at the hearing that the progress that has been made is still not enough. He said military pressure from Afghanistan and its international partners is not close to bringing a “successful political solution.”

Dunford argued that the international effort must be “long-term,” taking at least six or seven years. That is the time required to fully train the Afghan air force to fight the enemy forces in the country.

Republican Senator and Vietnam prisoner of war John McCain has also criticized the lack of progress in Afghanistan. He said, “After 16 years, should the taxpayers¹² of America be satisfied that we are still in a stalemate? I don’t think so.”

McCain was talking about a comment the top commander on the ground made earlier this year. U.S. Army General John Nicholson asked for more troops to help break what he called the “stalemate” in America’s longest war.

Mattis said that political reconciliation¹³ with the Taliban is still the goal. As long as the Taliban stops killing¹⁴ people, lives by the Afghan constitution and breaks with international terrorists there will be no more conflict, he added.?

Other powers

The United States’ new Afghan strategy aims to focus on the major powers in the area, including India, China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan.

For example, U.S. leaders want Pakistan to prevent terrorists from using their territory to escape pressure in Afghanistan.

Mattis said this week that places where terrorists feel safe must be removed. Otherwise keeping the area in good condition will be "highly difficult."

Members of Congress also asked Chairman Dunford about the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence Agency, or ISI. Dunford told the Senate committee that it was "clear" that the ISI has connections with terrorist groups.

So far, the U.S. has been working alone to push Pakistan toward removing its areas that are safe for terrorists. But Dunford suggested that America should use the nearly 40 nations of the coalition in Afghanistan to do so. Also it should ask other powers in the area, such as China and India, to better urge Pakistan to do more to fight terrorism, he said.

Mattis expressed concern that Russia is also acting¹⁵ in ways that work against the coalition's fight to defeat the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida.

“If there's an opportunity to, you know, poke⁴ us in the eye, they'll do it,” Mattis said. “Even if it's against their own interest.”

I’m Alice Bryant. And I’m Pete Musto.

Words in This Story

strategy – n. a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time

corps – n. a large military group consisting of two or more divisions

airstrike(s) – n. an attack in which military airplanes drop bombs

insurgent(s) – n. a person who fights against an established government or authority

certain – adj. used to refer to something or someone that is not named specifically

bolder – adj. less afraid of danger or difficult situations than before

stalemate – n. a contest, dispute, or competition in which neither side can gain an advantage or win

reconciliation – n. the act of causing two people or groups to become friendly again after an argument or disagreement

opportunity – n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done

poke – v. to push your finger or something thin or pointed into or at someone or something

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 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。

3 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。

4 poke   

n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢

参考例句：

• We never thought she would poke her nose into this.想不到她会插上一手。
• Don't poke fun at me.别拿我凑趣儿。

5 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

6 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

7 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。

8 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

9 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

10 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。

11 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。

12 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

13 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

14 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

15 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。