VOA标准英语2010年-US General: Afghan War like a 'Roller

US Central Commander Gen. David Petraeus testifies on Capitol Hill before the Senate Armed Services Committee, 16 Jun 2010

The head of U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that the withdrawal¹ date for U.S. military forces in Afghanistan is the beginning of a process and not a rush to leave the country.  General David Petraeus likened the counterinsurgency campaign to a roller coaster, saying that the overall military effort is going in a positive direction. 

Thousands of U.S. soldiers continue to pour into southern Afghanistan and soon, the military says, 98,000 U.S. troops will be in the country in an effort to counter Taliban insurgents² fighting NATO and the Afghan government.

Even though NATO still is about 450 trainers short of what officials say is needed to build up Afghan security forces quickly, the military is already transferring security responsibilities in some parts of the country.

Army General David Petraeus, the commander of American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, told the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee that Afghan soldiers and police are sacrificing enormously for their country.

"Afghan forces are in the lead in Kabul and in a number of other areas and missions," said General Petraeus. "And they are very much in the fight throughout the country, so much so that their losses are typically several times U.S. losses."

U.S. President Barack Obama has set July of next year to begin withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan - a time frame that is criticized by some lawmakers.

Those who support the deadline say it is necessary to force Afghan leaders to take responsibility for securing their nation.  Opponents say setting a date for beginning a troop pullout sends a mixed message to Afghanistan and regional allies like Pakistan.

Republican Senator John McCain:

"Right now, general, we are sounding an uncertain trumpet³ to our friends and our enemies," said Senator McCain. "They believe that we are leaving as of July 2011."

General Petraeus said it is important to emphasize to the people of Afghanistan that the United States has a long-term commitment to their country and that the withdrawal of U.S. forces depends on security conditions on the ground.

"That is not the date when we look for the door and try to turn off the light, but rather a date at which a process begins," he said.

President Obama has tripled the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan since taking office.  He has yet to decide how quickly the troops will be brought home.  Meanwhile, many U.S. lawmakers say there are troubling signs in Afghanistan.

Fighting with the Taliban continues around Marja, which was supposed to be a model for the counterinsurgency campaign.

Some U.S. officials are concerned about Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who recently dismissed two senior officials who were held in high regard by the United States.

And a major civilian-military operation in Kandahar appears to be progressing more slowly than military planners had anticipated.

Despite these problems, General Petraeus says the military's timeline is on track.

"The conduct of a counterinsurgency operation is a roller coaster experience," said Petraeus. "There are setbacks as well as areas of progress or successes."

Petraeus said there is no hill in Afghanistan where American troops will plant a flag and go home to a victory parade.  The four star general added that the trajectory⁴ of the war generally has been positive, despite delays and increasing casualties. 

 

1 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。

2 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

3 trumpet   

n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘

参考例句：

• He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
• The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。

4 trajectory   

n.弹道，轨道

参考例句：

• It is not difficult to sketch the subsequent trajectory.很容易描绘出它们最终的轨迹。
• The path followed by a projectile is called its trajectory.抛物体所循的路径称为它的轨道。