VOA标准英语2008年-US-Iraq Agreement Close on Troops' Future

U.S. officials say they are close to an agreement with Iraq on the future of the U.S. troop presence in the country. But they deny reports that an agreement has already been reached. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.
　
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Iraqi FM Hoshyar Zebari after joint¹ press conference in Green Zone in Baghdad, 21 Aug 2008

The first denial came from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on her aircraft on the way to Baghdad early Thursday. Later, after meeting with Iraq's foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, she said the two sides have agreed that there should be what she called "some aspirational² timetables" in the agreement for the future withdrawal³ of U.S. forces. Minister Zebari called them "time horizons." But Secretary Rice said any withdrawal would still be based on security conditions.

The other issue reported to be holding up a final accord is the question of legal immunity⁴ for U.S. troops and contractors⁵ who work for them.

At the Pentagon, spokesman Bryan Whitman would not discuss specific issues in dispute.

"I would characterize it as others have, which is that we've made good progress on it. We are close," he said. "There are still some issues to work out, but that it's very premature⁶ at this point to say that we have an agreement. Secretary Rice is there to work this issue specifically and a lot will be dependent on how well those discussions go."

In Texas, where President Bush is on vacation, spokesman Gordon Johndroe said it is more important to get the agreement right than to get it quickly.

"The conversations that we're having with the Iraqis now are based on the improvement in security and our mutual⁷ desire to bring more American troops home," he said. "I think the president and every American wants to see American troops come home, but not until the job is done and there is more security, more political progress and more economic progress inside Iraq."

U.S. and Iraqi negotiators are working on two agreements, one to govern the operations of U.S. forces after a United Nations Security Council resolution expires at the end of this year, and the other to lay out the broad U.S.-Iraq security relationship. Officials say if the first agreement is not negotiated and approved by both governments by the end of the year, the Security Council might have to be asked to extend its mandate⁸.

There are also concerns that the agreements could restrict the options of the next American president, who will be elected in November and will take office in January. But officials say the pending⁹ accords will only create a legal framework and will not commit a new president to keep U.S. troops in Iraq for a specific period of time.

 

1 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。

2 aspirational   

志同的，有抱负的

参考例句：

• Most of the images that bombard us all are aspirational. 轰击的图像，我们都期望最大。
• Analysts said self-help and aspirational reading could explain India's high figures. 分析师们指出，自助读书、热爱读书是印度人均读书时间超过别的国家的主要原因。

3 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。

4 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

5 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

7 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

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 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。