2007年VOA标准英语-US Commander Seeks More Troops for Iraq's Diyal

By Al Pessin
Pentagon
09 March 2007

The commander of coalition² forces in northern Iraq says he has requested more forces to help prevent Baghdad-based insurgents⁴ from fleeing to neighboring Diyala Province. The general reported the request during a news conference via satellite with reporters at the Pentagon Friday. VOA's Al Pessin reports.

 
Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon (l) and U.S. Army Col. Trogdon speak with Pentagon reporters via satellite, providing an update on ongoing⁵ security operations in Iraq, 9 Mar¹ 2007
Major General Benjamin Mixon says he has already reinforced his units in Diyala, and has asked multi-national headquarters in Baghdad for more troops.

"I have moved additional forces and capabilities⁶ into Diyala over the last couple of weeks as we began larger offensive operations in Baquba and other portions of the surrounding area," he said. "Could I use more forces in Diyala? No question about it."

"And I'm in discussions of that with [Lieutenant] General [Raymond] Odierno [the number two coalition commander in Iraq] as he attempts to balance the requirements in Baghdad," he added.

General Mixon would not say how many troops he wants, but he said it is not so many that it would require more forces to be sent from the United States. The U.S. military is in the process of pumping 17,000 additional troops into Baghdad, and another three thousand into western al-Anbar Province.

 
U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus gestures as he speaks during a press conference in Baghdad, 8 March 2007
On Thursday the top coalition commander in Iraq, General , said he is already planning to send more troops to what he called other areas "of concern," including Diyala Province.

During Friday's news conference, General Mixon, the northern Iraq commander, said any insurgents that try to seek refuge in Diyala, or use it as a base for operations in Baghdad, will be disappointed.

He said, "It is a natural part of an insurgency⁷ that the insurgent³ will try to move [to] where he feels no pressure. But we're keeping the pressure on them. And I think by what they have seen us do over the last month and a half - I have sent reinforcements down in Diyala - they've seen a different picture."

"I expect over the next week or so they will see an even [more] different picture. And I am sure that they will understand that we are going to go after them vigorously in Diyala," he continued.

The general says his forces are also establishing permanent joint⁸ U.S.-Iraqi posts in key areas in order to ensure that insurgents do not return after they are pushed out. He says there has been a 30 per cent increase in violent incidents in Diyala recently, most of them initiated⁹ by the coalition, with more than 175 insurgents killed.

General Mixon says his forces focus on disrupting groups that plant roadside bombs in the province, or provide them for use in Baghdad.

The general says he has also augmented¹⁰ the U.S. military training teams that live and work with Iraqi units, and that most of the Iraqi troops in his area are now under their own commanders.

But General Mixon repeated what other senior officers and U.S. officials have said frequently - that long-term success in Iraq depends as much on economic development and good governance as it does on security.

The general called on Sunni and Shiite community leaders in Iraq and around the world to help end the violence and move the country toward reconciliation¹¹ and development.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 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。

3 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

4 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

5 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

6 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

7 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

8 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。

9 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

10 Augmented   

adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• 'scientists won't be replaced," he claims, "but they will be augmented." 他宣称：“科学家不会被取代；相反，他们会被拓展。” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• The impact of the report was augmented by its timing. 由于发表的时间选得好，这篇报导的影响更大了。

11 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。