2007年VOA标准英语-Australia Says Oil Key Motive for Involvement i
时间：2019-02-07 作者：英语课 分类：2007年VOA标准英语（七月）
Sydney
05 July 2007
Australian troops aboard an armoured personnel vehicle pass by a checkpoint guarded by an Iraqi policeman at a junction near the Australian embassy in Baghdad (File)
Australia has admitted for the first time that securing oil supplies has been a key factor behind its involvement in the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Defense 2 Minister Brendan Nelson says maintaining what he calls "resource security" in the Middle East is a priority for Australia, which still has about 1,500 troops in the region. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.
Releasing the government's review of its national security policy, the defense minister acknowledged that the supply of oil has influenced strategic planning.
"The defense update we're releasing today sets out many priorities for Australia's defense and security, and resource security is one of them, and obviously the Middle East itself, not only Iraq, but the entire region, is an important supplier of energy, oil in particular, to the rest of the world," he said.
Nelson says that, although energy concerns are important, the main reason Australian troops are still in the Gulf 3 is to ensure that the humanitarian 4 crisis in the region does not get worse.
Critics have accused the Australian government of telling lies about Iraq.
The main opposition 5 Labor 6 party says that, back in 2003, Prime Minister John Howard insisted the campaign to oust 7 former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with oil. It has chastised 8 Mr. Howard for making up his policy in the Gulf as he goes along. Labor has promised to pull Australian troops out of Iraq if it wins national elections due later this year.
Anti-war protesters say the invasion of Iraq was more of a grab for oil rather than a genuine attempt to uncover weapons of mass destruction as the government has insisted.
Ministers in Canberra have brushed aside the criticism. They say they remain committed to helping 9 the United States stabilize 10 Iraq and combat terrorism. They also stress that there will be no "premature 11 withdrawal 12" of Australian forces from the region.
- There's a bridge at the junction of the two rivers.两河的汇合处有座桥。
- You must give way when you come to this junction.你到了这个路口必须让路。
- 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。
- The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
- There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。
- She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
- The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。
- 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。
- We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
- He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。
- The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
- The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。
- He chastised the team for their lack of commitment. 他指责队伍未竭尽全力。
- The Securities Commission chastised the firm but imposed no fine. 证券委员会严厉批评了那家公司，不过没有处以罚款。 来自辞典例句
- The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
- By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
- They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
- His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。
- 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。
- 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。