VOA标准英语2008年-US Envoy Denies Secret Agenda in Iraq Negotiati

By David Gollust
State Department
05 June 2008

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said Thursday the Bush administration has no secret agenda in negotiations² with Iraq on the future status of U.S. forces there. He said the United States does not seek permanent bases or long-term control of Iraqi airspace. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
　

US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, 24 Jun 2008

Crocker, in Washington for consultations³, says the Bush administration would like to conclude the wide-ranging accord on future U.S. relations with Iraq by July.

But he rejects suggestions the proposed deal would tie the hands of a future U.S. administration, or that the United States has a secret agenda for permanent Iraqi bases.

The veteran diplomat⁴ briefed State Department reporters, who asked about a report in the British newspaper The Independent, that said Washington is seeking a "secret deal" with Iraqi authorities that would extend U.S. military occupation indefinitely, regardless of the outcome of the November U.S. election.

Crocker dismissed the notion of a secret component⁵ to the accord under negotiation¹, saying the process will be transparent⁶ and the deal subject to full debate by Iraqi legislators.

"It's a negotiation in progress, so I can't tell you what it is going to like at the end," he said. "But I can tell you that we are not seeking permanent military bases in Iraq. That is just flatly untrue. Nor are we seeking to control Iraqi airspace. That is another kind of enduring myth. Iraq is working hard at developing its air traffic control capacities, and, as it does, we're handing over increasing responsibility to them."

Crocker said the impetus⁷ to complete the deal this year, before the current U.N. mandate⁸ for foreign forces in Iraq expires, comes from the Iraqi side.

He said an American military presence in Iraq will clearly be needed beyond this year, but that the status-of-forces agreement will have review provisions so that it could be altered by either side in the future.

The ambassador said improved security conditions in Iraq in recent months stem from what he termed a "virtuous⁹ circle" of growing competence¹⁰ by Iraqi security forces and public revulsion against al-Qaida in Iraq and other foreign-backed militants¹¹.

He spoke¹² of a substantial backlash also against Iran's support of radical¹³ Shiite militias¹⁴, and said Tehran would be well-advised to reconsider its behavior toward its neighbor:

"One would hope that that will lead to a rethinking in Iran as to what its long-term policy toward Iraq should be - to support a democratically-elected central government, or to support militias that are aligned¹⁵ against that government," he said. "I don't think Iran can really have it both ways. It's not a U.S. position, it's what Iraqis themselves are saying."

Crocker said the Thursday announcement by the United Arab Emirates that it intends to name an ambassador and open an embassy in Baghdad reflects an appreciation¹⁶ by Arab states that "things are different in Iraq," in both political and security terms.

1 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

5 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

6 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

7 impetus   

n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力

参考例句：

• This is the primary impetus behind the economic recovery.这是促使经济复苏的主要动力。
• Her speech gave an impetus to my ideas.她的讲话激发了我的思绪。

8 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

9 virtuous   

adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的

参考例句：

• She was such a virtuous woman that everybody respected her.她是个有道德的女性，人人都尊敬她。
• My uncle is always proud of having a virtuous wife.叔叔一直为娶到一位贤德的妻子而骄傲。

10 competence   

n.能力，胜任，称职

参考例句：

• This mess is a poor reflection on his competence.这种混乱情况说明他难当此任。
• These are matters within the competence of the court.这些是法院权限以内的事。

11 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

14 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

15 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

16 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。