VOA常速英语2007-Britain to Hand Over More Security Duties to Ira

By Jim Randle
Irbil, Iraq
02 October 2007

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says about 1,000 British troops can soon leave Iraq. As VOA's Jim Randle reports, the British leader visited Baghdad for talks with top Iraqi officials.

Prime Minister Brown said about one-fifth of the British force can head home in the next few months, leaving a contingent¹ of about 4,500 by the end of the year.

Mr. Brown met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and told journalists Iraqi forces can take over security duties in Basra province during the next two months. British troops recently turned over the city of Basra, in southern Iraq, to their Iraqi counterparts before withdrawing to a nearby base.

Mr. Brown says it will soon be time to turn over responsibility for the whole province.

"I believe that within the next two months, we can move to provincial² Iraqi control, and that is the Iraqis taking responsibility for their own security in the whole of Basra. I believe that the 30,000 security forces that have been trained up, are capable of discharging these responsibilities for security," said Mr. Brown.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says the remaining British forces will be doing less combat and more training of Iraqi troops. Mr. Maliki says his forces will be ready to handle their duties in Basra and other parts of Iraq in two months' time.

Mr. Maliki says certain army units and members of the national police will be specifically assigned to Basra. He says he will dispatch additional forces to fill in as British troops leave.

Basra is the last of four southern Iraqi provinces that Britain was responsible for after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The others were transferred to Iraqi control earlier.

This is Mr. Brown's first visit to Iraq as prime minister. He is scheduled to address Britain's parliament next week to outline the future of Britain's role in Iraq.

Mr. Maliki said that future includes a strong and continuing British partnership³ in promoting economic reconstruction⁴ and investment in Iraq.

1 contingent   

adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队

参考例句：

• The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
• Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。

2 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。

3 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

4 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。