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95 北爱尔兰共和军延迟裁军
Disarmament Report Finds IRA Slow to Surrender Weapons
Laurie Kassman
London
2 Jul 2001 18:43 UTC
Northern Ireland has been 1)plunged into political crisis following the resignation on Sunday of the Protestant First Minister of the power-sharing government. Now the special 2)disarmament commission has issued a report saying there is little progress by the Irish Republican Army in 3)relinquishing its weapons.
The report issued by Northern Ireland's disarmament authorities says the Irish Republican Army has not 4)scrapped its weapons, or said how or when it will do so.
The commission adds that meetings with an IRA representative will continue. The report also criticizes two small 5)loyalist 6)paramilitary groups for not getting rid of their weapons either.
Protestant First Minister David Trimble resigned on Sunday after complaining the IRA has not fulfilled its commitment to disarm. While the IRA has allowed inspectors to see some 7)stockpiles of weapons it says have been locked up and put beyond use, Mr. Trimble says it is not enough.
Britain's top minister for Northern Ireland, John Reid, told the House of Commons Monday new elections will have to be organized if a replacement for Mr. Trimble is not found within the next six weeks
Mr. Reid says efforts are being 8)redoubled to 9)avert a collapse of the peace process. He said, "This is not a matter of victory or defeat for one side or the other. It can only be a victory for all of us and all the people of Northern Ireland."
The pressure is mounting on the IRA's political wing, Sinn Fein, to get the paramilitary group to rid itself of weapons 10)once and for all.
Without naming Sinn Fein in particular, Mr. Reid saio those with influence should use it. "In this, of course, we all have a 11)collective responsibility," he said. "But some parties have a particular position with the paramilitaries and under the Good Friday agreement are 12)obliged to use such influence to achieve 13)decommissioning."
But Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams insisted the Good Friday peace agreement means more than just disarming 14)guerrilla groups. He said, "It's about change. It's about equity. It's about equality. It's about justice. It's about decent policing. It's about putting guns beyond use. It's about all those matters. But the only guns in use are the guns of the British forces or of the loyalists."
The political crisis coincides with the Protestant marching season, when 15)tensions increase between Northern Ireland's religious communities.
Protestant Unionists have long sought to remain a part of Britain while Catholic republicans have fought for independence from British rule. The 1998 peace agreement, which ended three decades of 16)sectarian conflict, says Northern Ireland's political will be determined by the will of the majority.
(1) plunge into v.投入, 跳入
(2) disarmament[dIs5B:mEmEnt]n.裁军
(3) relinquish[rI5lINkwIF]v.放弃
(4) scrap[skrAp]n.小片, 废料 vt.扔弃, 敲碎, 拆毁
(5) loyalist[5lCIElIst]n.忠诚的人, 反对独立者
(6) paramilitary[pArE5mIlItErI; (?@) -terI]adj.准军事的, 辅助军事的
(7) stockpile n.积蓄, 库存vt.储蓄, 贮存
(8) redouble[rI5dQb(E)l]n.再加倍v.加倍, 加强
(9) avert[E5v:t]v.转移
(10) once and for all断然地, 坚决地
(11) collective[kE5lektIv]adj.集体的n.集体
(12) oblige[E5blaIdV]vt.迫使, 责成
(13) decommission[ 9di:kE`mIFLn ]vt.使退役
(14) guerrilla[^E5rIlE]n.游击战, 游击队
(15) tension[5tenF(E)n]n.紧张(状态), 不安, 拉紧vt.拉紧, 使紧张
(16) sectarian[sek5teErIEn]n.宗派主义者
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