VOA标准英语2009年-Inquiry Highlights Divisions Between U

Senior British officials questioned in wide-ranging inquiry¹ on Britain's role in Iraq war

Jennifer Glasse | London 08 December 2009

 
UK inquiry includes not only the decision to invade, but the country's actions while there, and its withdrawal²

Witnesses in the second week of Britain's wide ranging inquiry into the Iraq war have revealed differences between the United States and Britain in the days running up to the war. The head of Britain's military say he was only given authority to plan for the war at a late stage.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair's top political advisor³ in 2002 was David Manning. He told the Inquiry panel here in London Friday that Mr. Blair made a decision in the spring of 2002 that Britain would stand by America. "He expected to be with the United States until the end," Manning said. "But this would only be possible if the United Nations were the channel to get to the end."

Manning says Mr. Blair began to ask for military options in June 2002, nine months before the war got underway.  Admiral Michael Boyce was the head of the armed forces at the time.   He says military planning was delayed because politicians didn't want word getting out that a war might be imminent⁴. He also said there was a disconnect between American and British officials about what consensus⁵ was needed to go to war. Mr. Blair was continuing to ask for a definitive⁶ U.N. resolution and the agreement of the British Parliament. Boyce says American officials assumed British forces would take part in the war, no matter what the United Nations did.

"There was a huge reluctance⁷ by the U.S. throughout, from July 2002 through to March 17 2003, to believe that we were not going to commit our forces unless we had been fully⁸ through the U.N. process and through Parliament as well. No matter how many times you said to senior U.S. officers... there was a complete reluctance to believe that. It was a case of, 'yes, I know you've got to say that, but actually come the day you will be there'. That was the attitude," Boyce said.

In March of 2003 a second U.N. resolution failed, but Tony Blair took Britain to war anyway. Manning says it was because the Prime Minister was convinced of his cause.

"It was because he believed it was the right thing to do. He believed that it exhausted⁹ the alternatives. He believed that it would deal with the disarmament issue," Manning said.

Witnesses at the inquiry have not only noted¹⁰ the divisions between the United States and the United Kingdom,  but also criticized Britian's military preparation for the war, and the lack of planning and action in the immediate¹¹ aftermath of the invasion.  The inquiry is Britain's most wide ranging investigation¹² into the Iraq war. It's expected to take about a year.

 

1 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

2 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。

3 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

4 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

5 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

6 definitive   

adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.至于为什么该这样，还没有人给出明确的答复。

7 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

8 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

9 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

12 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。