voa标准英语2008年-US Lawmakers Debate US-Iraq Security Accord
时间:2019-01-13 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2008年(十一月)
英语课
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense 1 Secretary Robert Gates were on Capitol Hill Wednesday briefing U.S. lawmakers on the security agreement now being considered by Iraq's parliament. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, members of Congress continue to debate the U.S.-Iraq accord, as experts testifying at a congressional hearing offered their own assessments 2.
Gates and Rice held their classified briefings for lawmakers behind closed doors, and neither official commented to reporters.
The product of months of negotiations 4, the U.S.-Iraq security accord establishes the basis for a continued U.S. troop presence in Iraq after a United Nations mandate 5 expires on December 31 of this year.
It sets a June 30, 2009 deadline for U.S. combat troops to withdraw from Iraqi cities and towns, with a December 31, 2011 date for final withdrawal 6, provided Iraqi forces have assumed full security responsibilities.
However, many U.S. lawmakers have been angry with what they view as a secretive process in which the Bush administration undertook very little if any consultation 7 with Congress.
These feelings were evident in a public hearing of a House foreign affairs subcommittee, where Democratic Representative William Delahunt voiced his frustration 9.
"There has been no meaningful consultation with Congress during the negotiation 3 of this agreement and the American people for all intents and purposes have been completely left out."
Delahunt referred to a request from the National Security Council that the text of the agreement not be released publicly, and be withheld 10 from witnesses at the hearing.
Oona Hathaway, Professor Law at the University of California at Berkeley calls the lack of consultation with Congress unprecedented 11, asserting that aspects of the accord exceed the independent constitutional powers of the president.
Among troublesome provisions she points to is one involving a joint 12 U.S.-Iraqi coordinating 13 committee that she suggests would require U.S. commanders to seek permission to engage in military activities other than self-defense.
"The provisions granting authority to U.S. troops to engage in military operations, the grant of power over our military operations to this joint committee, and the specification 14 of timetables for withdrawal of military forces," Hathaway said. "These are unprecedented in a standard SOFA [Status of Forces Agreement] have never been part of a standard SOFA, and extend in my view far beyond what the president can do without obtaining congressional approval."
In Baghdad Wednesday, the accord ran into difficulties, when its second reading in the Iraqi legislature was disrupted amid arguments between supporters and opponents.
Raed Jarrar, consultant 15 in the Middle East Peace Building Program of the American Friends Service Committee, suggests opposition 16 to the accord remains 17 intense in Iraq.
"There are many people who think signing of the agreement now will be divisive in Iraq, it will split the Iraqi community and the parliament yet again. And so it will not be a reason for unification, it will be a reason for more violence and more fighting among Iraqis and maybe it will push the security situation [to] deteriorate 18 even more," he said.
Jarrar says extending the United Nations mandate, in the absence of approval by Iraq's parliament, would give Iraqis time to adequately discuss the agreement.
"Maybe by the end of this week we will find that it is not going to be possible to conclude this agreement before the end of the mandate in which case we do have to go to the U.N. options," said Michael Matheson, a visiting Professor of Law at George Washington University.
Matheson says this course would allow more time for the U.S. Congress to work out details with a President Barack Obama next year.
Thomas Donnelly, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, calls the U.S.-Iraq agreement important for Iraq and U.S. security interests in the region relating to Iran.
"Not only is this an important agreement for limiting Iran's ability to make mischief 19 in Iraq, but it is an important step forward in Iraq's own self-image as a free and independent state, not too much under the influence of Tehran," he said.
Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher expressed this view during Wednesday's hearing.
"It is not in our interest to stay in a country like Iraq unless those people want us there to help them defeat evil forces that threaten to overrun their own defenses," he said. "So, if they don't, it's time to go."
The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Democrat 8 Ike Skelton, said this week that while the U.S.-Iraq accord contains some positive aspects, he remained deeply troubled by vague language he fears could cause misunderstandings and conflict between the U.S. and Iraq.
Skelton referred to provisions he believes could result in U.S. troops facing prosecution 20 in Iraqi courts.
U.S. officials say while the accord gives Iraq an element of legal jurisdiction 21 over U.S. troops and private contractors 22 who commit certain crimes while off-duty, service members would remain in U.S. custody 23.
Gates and Rice held their classified briefings for lawmakers behind closed doors, and neither official commented to reporters.
The product of months of negotiations 4, the U.S.-Iraq security accord establishes the basis for a continued U.S. troop presence in Iraq after a United Nations mandate 5 expires on December 31 of this year.
It sets a June 30, 2009 deadline for U.S. combat troops to withdraw from Iraqi cities and towns, with a December 31, 2011 date for final withdrawal 6, provided Iraqi forces have assumed full security responsibilities.
However, many U.S. lawmakers have been angry with what they view as a secretive process in which the Bush administration undertook very little if any consultation 7 with Congress.
These feelings were evident in a public hearing of a House foreign affairs subcommittee, where Democratic Representative William Delahunt voiced his frustration 9.
"There has been no meaningful consultation with Congress during the negotiation 3 of this agreement and the American people for all intents and purposes have been completely left out."
Delahunt referred to a request from the National Security Council that the text of the agreement not be released publicly, and be withheld 10 from witnesses at the hearing.
Oona Hathaway, Professor Law at the University of California at Berkeley calls the lack of consultation with Congress unprecedented 11, asserting that aspects of the accord exceed the independent constitutional powers of the president.
Among troublesome provisions she points to is one involving a joint 12 U.S.-Iraqi coordinating 13 committee that she suggests would require U.S. commanders to seek permission to engage in military activities other than self-defense.
"The provisions granting authority to U.S. troops to engage in military operations, the grant of power over our military operations to this joint committee, and the specification 14 of timetables for withdrawal of military forces," Hathaway said. "These are unprecedented in a standard SOFA [Status of Forces Agreement] have never been part of a standard SOFA, and extend in my view far beyond what the president can do without obtaining congressional approval."
In Baghdad Wednesday, the accord ran into difficulties, when its second reading in the Iraqi legislature was disrupted amid arguments between supporters and opponents.
Raed Jarrar, consultant 15 in the Middle East Peace Building Program of the American Friends Service Committee, suggests opposition 16 to the accord remains 17 intense in Iraq.
"There are many people who think signing of the agreement now will be divisive in Iraq, it will split the Iraqi community and the parliament yet again. And so it will not be a reason for unification, it will be a reason for more violence and more fighting among Iraqis and maybe it will push the security situation [to] deteriorate 18 even more," he said.
Jarrar says extending the United Nations mandate, in the absence of approval by Iraq's parliament, would give Iraqis time to adequately discuss the agreement.
"Maybe by the end of this week we will find that it is not going to be possible to conclude this agreement before the end of the mandate in which case we do have to go to the U.N. options," said Michael Matheson, a visiting Professor of Law at George Washington University.
Matheson says this course would allow more time for the U.S. Congress to work out details with a President Barack Obama next year.
Thomas Donnelly, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, calls the U.S.-Iraq agreement important for Iraq and U.S. security interests in the region relating to Iran.
"Not only is this an important agreement for limiting Iran's ability to make mischief 19 in Iraq, but it is an important step forward in Iraq's own self-image as a free and independent state, not too much under the influence of Tehran," he said.
Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher expressed this view during Wednesday's hearing.
"It is not in our interest to stay in a country like Iraq unless those people want us there to help them defeat evil forces that threaten to overrun their own defenses," he said. "So, if they don't, it's time to go."
The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Democrat 8 Ike Skelton, said this week that while the U.S.-Iraq accord contains some positive aspects, he remained deeply troubled by vague language he fears could cause misunderstandings and conflict between the U.S. and Iraq.
Skelton referred to provisions he believes could result in U.S. troops facing prosecution 20 in Iraqi courts.
U.S. officials say while the accord gives Iraq an element of legal jurisdiction 21 over U.S. troops and private contractors 22 who commit certain crimes while off-duty, service members would remain in U.S. custody 23.
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩
- The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
- The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。
n.评估( assessment的名词复数 );评价;(应偿付金额的)估定;(为征税对财产所作的)估价
- He was shrewd in his personal assessments. 他总能对人作出精明的评价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Surveys show about two-thirds use such assessments, while half employ personality tests. 调查表明,约有三分之二的公司采用了这种测评;而一半的公司则采用工作人员个人品质测试。 来自百科语句
n.谈判,协商
- 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。
协商( negotiation的名词复数 ); 谈判; 完成(难事); 通过
- 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。
n.托管地;命令,指示
- 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。
n.取回,提款;撤退,撤军;收回,撤销
- 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。
n.咨询;商量;商议;会议
- The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
- The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。
n.民主主义者,民主人士;民主党党员
- The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
- About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后,他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。
n.挫折,失败,失效,落空
- He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
- He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
withhold过去式及过去分词
- I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后,我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意,学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
adj.无前例的,新奇的
- 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。
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合
- 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。
v.使协调,使调和( coordinate的现在分词 );协调;协同;成为同等
- He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
- He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的,难道我们不去请他? 来自电影对白
n.详述;[常pl.]规格,说明书,规范
- I want to know his specification of details.我想知道他对细节的详述。
- Examination confirmed that the quality of the products was up to specification.经检查,产品质量合格。
n.顾问;会诊医师,专科医生
- He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
- Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来,加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。
n.反对,敌对
- The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
- The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
- He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
- The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
v.变坏;恶化;退化
- Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗?
- He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为,这只会使局势更加恶化。
n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹
- Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
- He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。
n.起诉,告发,检举,执行,经营
- The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
- He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。
n.司法权,审判权,管辖权,控制权
- It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
- Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。
n.(建筑、监造中的)承包人( contractor的名词复数 )
- 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》