VOA常速英语2008年-Petraeus, Crocker Pressed on US Commitment to I

By Dan Robinson
Washington
10 April 2008

Lawmakers have pressed the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, about the duration of the U.S. military presence in Iraq, and political progress by the Iraqi government. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill, where the two men faced a second day of questions, this time before House of Representatives committees.

Petraeus and Crocker essentially¹ repeated lengthy² statements they delivered Tuesday to U.S. Senate committees.

Each was pressed for answers about the future U.S. commitment to Iraq, capabilities³ of Iraqi forces, as well as strains on the military and the U.S. economy.

Armed services chairman Ike Skelton referred to the economic strains for the United States from the war, saying Americans are asking this question. "Under these circumstances, and with the strategic risk to our nation and our military readiness, we and the American people must ask why should we stay in Iraq in large numbers?," he said.

Petraeus and Crocker again called U.S. and Iraqi gains fragile and reversible, while describing al-Qaida in Iraq as in retreat but not yet defeated. Both listed points of progress on the political front, adding that much more needs to be done.

Petraeus has recommended a 45-day evaluation⁵ period after the last of 20,000 U.S. military surge forces leaves Iraq at the end of July, which would leave about 140,000 U.S. troops in the country.

Saying he could foresee further reductions below the pre-surge 15 combat brigade level, if the right conditions existed, he responded this way when Democrat⁶ Silvestre Reyes asked about the possibility of another U.S. military surge:

REYES: "If at any point in that 45 day pause, security deteriorates⁷ what does that mean, what contingency⁸ plans to do we have. Will you re-instate the surge?

PETRAEUS: That would be a pretty remote thought in my mind for a variety of different reasons. One is the strategic considerations I have explained, the other is we do have an ability to move some forces around obviously and we certainly would want to do that, both Iraqi forces as well as our forces."

In a separate hearing, a top military official, Army Vice⁴ Chief of Staff General Richard Cody, repeated his assessment⁹ of the strains on U.S. troops: "We are the most battle-hardened, best-equipped, best-led and best-trained force for the counter-insurgency fight that we now face. But we are also unprepared for the full spectrum¹⁰ fight and lack the strategic depth that has been our traditional fall-back for the uncertainties¹¹ of this world," he said.

Testimony¹² by General Cody has been widely-quoted on Capitol Hill, with Democrats¹³ citing it to underscore their position that the war in Iraq is weakening U.S. security.

While pointing to security gains from the military surge in Iraq, Republicans nonetheless voiced concerns about Iraqi government failures to make more political progress.

California Congressman¹⁴ Duncan Hunter rejected assertions voiced by some that General Petraeus appeared to be signaling in two days of testimony an open-ended U.S. commitment in Iraq.

"What it shows is that you [have] a General who analyzes¹⁵ things and is a good thinker and has judgment¹⁶. Congress is constantly trying to extract deadlines from a person who tells you that warfare¹⁷ doesn't lend itself to deadlines," he said.

Lawmakers also pressed for further information about Iranian actions in Iraq, which General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker have said continue to contribute to instability.

Crocker told members of the House foreign affairs panel that trilateral meetings involving Iraqi government, U.S. and Iranian representatives have accomplished¹⁸ noting in the way of concrete results.

1 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

2 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

3 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

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。

6 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

7 deteriorates   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• After a few years' planting, the quality of the potato crop deteriorates. 土豆种了几年之后就会退化。
• Virus activity deteriorates in plasma stored at room temperature. 在室温下储藏的血浆中病毒活动逐渐衰退。

8 contingency   

n.意外事件，可能性

参考例句：

• We should be prepared for any contingency.我们应该对任何应急情况有所准备。
• A fire in our warehouse was a contingency that we had not expected.库房的一场大火是我们始料未及的。

9 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

10 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

11 uncertainties   

无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物

参考例句：

• One of the uncertainties of military duty is that you never know when you might suddenly get posted away. 任军职不稳定的因素之一是你永远不知道什么时候会突然被派往它处。
• Uncertainties affecting peace and development are on the rise. 影响和平与发展的不确定因素在增加。 来自汉英非文学 - 十六大报告

12 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

13 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》

14 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

15 analyzes   

v.分析( analyze的第三人称单数 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• This approach analyzes management by studying experience usually through cases. 这个学派通常从实例获得经验，用以分析管理。 来自辞典例句
• The econometrician analyzes statistical data. 经济计量学者要分析统计材料。 来自辞典例句

16 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

17 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

18 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。