VOA标准英语 Obama Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq

U.S. President Barack Obama has made a surprise visit to Iraq to meet with American troops and commanders, and consult with Iraqi leaders.
　
President Barack Obama is greeted by Gen. Ray Odierno, top US commander in Iraq, as he arrives in Baghdad, 07 Apr 2009

Air Force One slipped unannounced into Baghdad International Airport after a roughly two-hour flight from Istanbul.

It was Mr. Obama's first trip to Iraq as president - following one as part of a U.S. Senate delegation¹ in 2006 and a solo visit as a presidential candidate last year.

The main focus of Tuesday's stop was to give the president a chance to meet in person with U.S. troops in Iraq and their commanders.
　
President Barack Obama greets military personnel at Camp Victory in Baghdad, 7 April 2009

He went to Camp Victory, a sprawling² U.S. military compound on the outskirts³ of Baghdad, where he offered some 600 cheering military personnel his appreciation⁴ and support.

"You have performed brilliantly in every mission that has been given to you. Under enormous strain and under enormous sacrifice, through controversy⁵ and difficulty and politics, you have kept your eyes focused on just doing your job," he said.

President Obama told them the U.S. military operation in Iraq is at a crucial point - as the American presence begins to draw down and Iraqis take charge of their own security.

"It is time for us to transition to the Iraqis. They need to take responsibility for their country and for their sovereignty. And in order for them to do that, they need to make political accommodations," he said.

Mr. Obama said the United States cannot make difficult decisions for the Iraqi government. But he told the troops at Camp Victory that America will be a stalwart partner as the United States moves from a combat role to a greater emphasis on training the Iraqi armed forces.

"You will be critical in terms of us being able to make sure that Iraq is stable, that it is not a safe haven⁶ for terrorists, that it is a good neighbor and a good ally, and we can start bringing our troops home," he said.

While at Camp Victory, the president met privately⁷ with the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Army General Ray Odierno, and assured him that his administration's new emphasis on Afghanistan and Pakistan does not mean a lessening⁸ of its commitment to Iraq.

Mr. Obama originally planned to travel by helicopter to Baghdad's fortified⁹ Green Zone to meet face-to-face with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani.

But poor visibility changed those plans. The Iraqi leaders went to Camp Victory instead.
　
US President Barack Obama (R), meets with Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki (L) in Baghdad, 07 Apr 2009

"I communicated to the prime minister that we are strongly committed to an Iraq that is sovereign and stable and self-reliant," he said.

Mr. Obama's visit came at the end of a long overseas journey that included an economic summit in London, a gathering¹⁰ of NATO allies on the French-German border, talks with European Union leaders in Prague and a visit to Turkey.

In Turkey, Mr. Obama continued his outreach to the Muslim world. He took part in an unprecedented¹¹ question and answer session with young people in this predominantly Muslim country and talked with candor¹² about tensions between East and West.

One student asked President Obama whether there is a real difference between his policies and those of his predecessor¹³, George Bush.

Mr. Obama noted¹⁴ that policy changes take time to complete - that the ship of state is like an ocean tanker¹⁵ that does not turn quickly, but eventually gets to the right place. He said that as much as he wants to bring all U.S. troops home from Iraq, it is important to do it the right way.

"Some people might say, 'Wait, I thought you were opposed to the war. Why don't you just get them all out right away?' Well, just because I was opposed at the outset, it doesn't mean that I don't now have responsibilities to make sure that we do things in a responsible fashion," he explained.

The president has already announced plans to remove most U.S. combat forces from Iraq by the end of 2010.

1 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

2 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

3 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

4 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。

5 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

6 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。

7 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

8 lessening   

减轻，减少，变小

参考例句：

• So however much he earned, she spent it, her demands growing and lessening with his income. 祥子挣多少，她花多少，她的要求随着他的钱涨落。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• The talks have resulted in a lessening of suspicion. 谈话消减了彼此的怀疑。

9 fortified   

adj. 加强的

参考例句：

• He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
• The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。

10 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

11 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

12 candor   

n.坦白，率真

参考例句：

• He covered a wide range of topics with unusual candor.他极其坦率地谈了许多问题。
• He and his wife had avoided candor,and they had drained their marriage.他们夫妻间不坦率，已使婚姻奄奄一息。

13 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

14 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。

15 tanker   

n.油轮

参考例句：

• The tanker took on 200,000 barrels of crude oil.油轮装载了二十万桶原油。
• Heavy seas had pounded the tanker into three parts.汹涌的巨浪把油轮撞成三载。