VOA常速英语2007-Bush Says Leaving Iraq Would Embolden Iran

By Scott Stearns
White House
03 October 2007

President Bush says pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq before the government there can take over its own security would embolden¹ neighboring Iran. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, Iran's foreign minister says his country would step in to ensure regional stability, once foreign forces leave Iraq.

In trying to rebuild public support for an unpopular war, President Bush is warning about what he says could be regional chaos² if the United States leaves Iraq before the government there can protect itself.

Chief among his concerns is Iraq's neighbor Iran, who the president believes is secretly developing a nuclear weapons program, which Iran denies.

"There would be nothing worse for world peace, if the Iranians believe that the United States didn't have the will and commitment to help young democracies survive, that if we left before the job was done, there would be chaos," he said.  "Chaos would embolden not only the extremists and radicals³ who would like to do us harm, but it would also embolden Iran. What you don't want is to have a nuclear arms race taking place in the Middle East."

The president told political supporters in the eastern state of Pennsylvania that Iran not only threatens its neighbors, but the United States as well.

Iran says its nuclear program is only meant to generate electricity. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Motaki told reporters at the United Nations Wednesday that his country will join other regional powers in ensuring stability, once coalition⁴ forces withdraw from Iraq.

"If the foreign forces leave Iraq - which we do believe they have to leave - the regional countries, of course including Iran, are in a position to protect stability in the region," he said.  "This is our major policy."

President Bush has so far avoided legislative⁵ demands to set a timetable for the withdrawal⁶ of U.S. troops. Opposition⁷ Democrats⁸ who have a slim majority in Congress have failed to come up with the votes necessary to force his hand.

But Mr. Bush does face continuing public opposition to the war. An ABC News/Washington Post survey this week showed 68 percent of Americans disapprove⁹ of how he is handling the conflict.

The president says he understands how people feel.

"People just are anxious about seeing death on their TV screens. I also understand that the enemy understands that, and so the spectacular bombings of innocent people are meant to achieve a couple of objectives," he added.

Mr. Bush says those objectives include shaking the resolve of Iraqi civilians¹⁰ and Americans.

1 embolden   

v.给…壮胆，鼓励

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine,he went over to introduce himself to her.他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• The Prime Minister was steadily emboldened by the discovery that he faced no opposition.发现自己并未遭到反对，首相渐渐有了信心。

2 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

3 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

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。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

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 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

6 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

7 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。

8 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 disapprove   

v.不赞成，不同意，不批准

参考例句：

• I quite disapprove of his behaviour.我很不赞同他的行为。
• She wants to train for the theatre but her parents disapprove.她想训练自己做戏剧演员，但她的父母不赞成。

10 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。