Iraqis Give Mixed Reaction to Allawi's Nomination

 

Alisha Ryu

In Iraq, the nomination¹ of a former exile with close ties to the United States to become the country's interim² prime minister on June 30, has met with with mixed reactions from Iraqis.
Most Iraqis here say they did not hear the news about the prime minister-designate until early Saturday morning.
Following a special Governing Council meeting in Baghdad Friday, the council announced that it had unanimously nominated one of its own members, Shiite Muslim politician Iyad Allawi, as their choice for prime minister of an interim government that will take power in Iraq on June 30.
Late Friday night local time, the United Nations confirmed that the U.N. special envoy³ to Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi, had accepted the Governing Council's decision, and would work with Mr. Allawi in forming a full interim Cabinet.
On the streets of Baghdad, Iraqis reacted to the news of Mr. Allawi's nomination with both hope and skepticism.
Most said they knew little about the man who spent more than three decades in exile, first as a medical student in Britain, who strongly supported Saddam Hussein's Baath Party. Mr. Allawi later turned against Saddam, and in 1990, formed the Iraqi National Accord, an opposition⁴ party, backed by the Central Intelligence Agency, British intelligence and many defectors from Saddam's army.
Twenty two-year-old Kurdish storekeeper Mohommed Majid says he does not care about Mr. Allawi's past. He says all he wants is a leader who can put an end to Iraq's continuing security problems.
Mr. Majid says he has heard that Mr. Allawi has much experience in dealing⁵ with military matters. He says, if that is true, he believes the politician may be the right man to lead a country that desperately⁶ needs security and peace.
Iraqi artist Wisam Radhi, who, like Mr. Allawi is a Shiite, disagrees, and says Mr. Allawi's past does matter. He insists Mr. Allawi's one-time support for the Baath Party, which harshly persecuted⁸ the Shiites during its rule, can never be forgiven or forgotten.
Mr. Radhi says he will never trust Mr. Allawi, because he once supported a brutal⁹ regime that killed hundreds-of-thousands of innocent people.
An Iraqi journalist, Najim Al-Rubaie, says he believes most people here would accept Mr. Allawi as interim leader, as long as he is seen as working for the Iraqi people.
Mr. Rubaie says Mr. Allawi's greatest challenge as prime minister will be to convince the Iraqis that he is working on their behalf, and not in the interest of the United States or the United Nations.
The selection process for the interim government has been overseen¹⁰ by the United Nations, in close consultation¹¹ with the United States. Observers here say Iyad Allawi's membership in the U.S.-appointed Governing Council, his links to Western intelligence agencies and his years in exile could prove controversial among Iraqis, who remain suspicious of politicians who lived abroad and received Western backing.
注释：
tie [tai] n. 关系
designate [5dezi^neit] v. 任命，指派
envoy [5envCi] n. 外交使节，特使
Cabinet [5kAbinit] n. 内阁
skepticism [5skeptIsIz(E)m] n. 怀疑态度
Central Intelligence Agency 缩写为CIA，美国中央情报局。
defector [dI5fektE(r)] n. 背叛者，叛离者
one-time adj. 以前的
Baath Party 阿拉伯复兴社会党
harshly [hB:Fli] adv. 残酷地
persecute⁷ [5pE:sikju:t] v. 迫害
on one's behalf 代表，为……利益
oversee [5EuvE5si:] v. 监督
controversial [7kCntrE5vE:FEl] adj. 争议的

1 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

2 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。

3 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

7 persecute   

vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰

参考例句：

• They persecute those who do not conform to their ideas.他们迫害那些不信奉他们思想的人。
• Hitler's undisguised effort to persecute the Jews met with worldwide condemnation.希特勒对犹太人的露骨迫害行为遭到世界人民的谴责。

8 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。

9 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

10 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

11 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。