VOA常速英语2008年-Iraqi Kurdistan Blames Baghdad, Washington for

By Daniel Schearf
Irbil
24 February 2008

The government of Iraq's Kurdistan region has blamed Baghdad and Washington for failing to stop Turkish military actions in northern Iraq. The Turkish incursion has cost dozens of lives and sparked concerns the conflict may destabilize the largely peaceful region. Daniel Schearf reports from the northern Iraqi city of Irbil.

Iraqi Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani told journalists it is the responsibility of the Iraqi federal government and the United States to stop the Turkish actions.

But he said the government in Baghdad was acting¹ weak and feeble, and that Washington's assurances from the beginning that Turkish actions would be limited have proven false.

He says they expected the Turkish operations would end by the New Year, but now it is almost March and the operations continue.

Prime Minister Barzani said Iraqi Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani sent an urgent letter to President Bush asking him to resolve the situation.

Turkey sent tanks and hundreds, perhaps thousands of soldiers across the border into Iraq Thursday to root out Kurdish rebels from the PKK, the Kurdistan Worker's Party.

The PKK has been fighting Turkish forces since 1984 to establish an autonomous² region in southeast Turkey, using bases in Iraqi Kurdistan as a safe haven³ from which to launch their attacks.

But, Mr. Barzani says the increasingly bloody⁴ Turkish campaign has destroyed civilian⁵ infrastructure⁶, demonstrating that Turkish forces are not just targeting the PKK, but also Kurdistan itself.

In a sign of growing tensions with the Turkish military, he confirmed reports that Kurdish elite⁷ security, called the Peshemerga, last week forced one group of Turkish soldiers to return to their base inside Iraq.

He says it was very irresponsible for the Turkish forces to try to leave the base, especially since they know they cannot move from there without permission.

Iraqi authorities have for some years allowed the Turkish military to operate three bases just inside Iraq in order to better defend themselves from the PKK. Kurdish soldiers in the past have even joined with the Turks to fight the Kurdish rebels. The PKK is considered a terrorist organization by many countries, including the United States.

Iraqi officials say the fighting has been too costly⁸ in lives and infrastructure and that diplomacy⁹ is now the only solution.

U.S. Defense¹⁰ Secretary Robert Gates is urging Turkey to end the operation quickly, and says it will take more than just military action to resolve the conflict.

The Turkish military says it has lost 15 soldiers and one helicopter in the three days of fighting, but has killed more than 100 PKK rebels.

The PKK disputes those figures and say it has only lost two fighters, but killed nearly 50 Turkish troops.

1 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。

2 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

3 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

4 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

7 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

8 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

9 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

10 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。