VOA慢速英語(yǔ):美國(guó)飛機(jī)在伊拉克攻擊伊斯蘭武裝力量

[ti:US Planes Strike Islamist Forces in Iraq] [ar:Christopher Cruise] [al:In The News] [00:00.00]From VOA Learning English, this is In The News. [00:10.30]The United States military bombed Islamic State militants [00:16.02]in northern Iraq on Friday. [00:18.47]A Defense Department official said [00:21.65]U.S. airplanes dropped laser-guided bombs [00:25.26]on militant artillery positions near the city of Irbil. [00:30.55]The Islamists reportedly had used the artillery [00:34.80]against Iraqi Kurdish forces defending the city. [00:38.80]On Thursday, President Barack Obama ordered the U.S. military [00:44.25]to carry out "targeted airstrikes" against the militants. [00:49.29]The Islamic State was formerly known as ISIL -- [00:53.99]the Islamic State of Syria and the Levant. [00:57.64]The president said the military operation [01:01.08]is part of a combined effort [01:03.88]to support Kurdish forces in the north. [01:07.48]Another goal, he said, is to provide humanitarian aid [01:13.01]to Iraqi civilians threatened by militant action. [01:17.31]"Today I authorized two operations in Iraq: [01:20.56]targeted air strikes to protect our American personnel, [01:24.27]and a humanitarian effort to help save thousands of Iraqi civilians [01:29.51]who are trapped on a mountain without food and water [01:32.91]and facing almost certain death." [01:35.01]Mr. Obama spoke hours after U.S. aircraft [01:39.56]dropped humanitarian aid on Iraq's Mount Sinjar. [01:44.35]Thousands of displaced Iraqis have been living there [01:49.23]for days without food, water or shelter. [01:53.52]They fled up the mountain to escape from the Islamic State militants. [01:59.55]The refugees are mainly Christians or members of the Yazidi religious group. [02:07.10]The militants are Sunni Muslims. [02:10.19]They have threatened to kill non-Muslims [02:13.89]if they reject Islam's teachings. [02:16.93]They are also carrying out attacks on Muslims who are not Sunnis. [02:22.47]President Obama says the United States should act [02:27.06]if it has the ability to avoid a humanitarian crisis. [02:32.46]"We can act carefully and responsibly [02:35.16]to prevent a potential act of genocide. [02:37.13]That's what we're doing on that mountain. [02:39.33]I've therefore authorized targeted air strikes - [02:42.81]if necessary to help forces in Iraq [02:44.96]as they fight to break the siege of Mount Sinjar [02:47.91]and protect the civilians trapped there." [02:49.95]The president ordered air strikes against ISIL vehicles [02:54.40]if they moved toward Irbil. [02:57.24]He also approved strikes anywhere else in Iraq [03:02.54]where the militants threaten American personnel and property. [03:07.46]On Friday, Britain expressed support [03:11.56]for Mr. Obama's approval of air strikes. [03:14.72]Defense Secretary Michael Fallon announced that [03:18.97]his country would take part in the effort to aid Iraqi refugees. [03:24.40]The air strikes this week represent the biggest use [03:29.55]of American military force in Iraq since U.S. troops [03:34.69]withdrew from the country in 2011. [03:37.68]The Iraq War lasted more than eight years. [03:41.98]President Obama said on Thursday [03:45.61]that he would not send ground troops back to Iraq. [03:50.56]His administration has faced public pressure [03:54.29]to avoid new involvement in foreign conflicts. [03:58.33]In recent days, Islamic State forces and other militants [04:03.79]have made gains against Kurdish forces in northern Iraq. [04:08.98]The United States has a diplomatic office and military advisors in Irbil. [04:16.27]The militants defeated the Kurdish forces in several towns. [04:21.13]The group also says it has taken control of a major dam on the Tigris River. [04:29.06]This would give militants control of power and water that supplies Baghdad. [04:37.57]Iraq's ability to answer the militant offensive [04:42.18]has been slowed by a political leadership dispute. [04:46.31]Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has faced repeated calls to leave office. [04:52.76]His group won the most seats in a national election earlier this year, [04:58.55]but efforts to form a new government have failed. [05:02.53]And that's In The News from VOA Learning English. [05:07.95]I'm Christopher Cruise.

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