AS IT IS 2016-03-13 US Holds IS Fighter Who Was Key to Chemical Weapons

AS IT IS 2016-03-13 US Holds IS Fighter Who Was Key to Chemical Weapons

U.S. military officials say they captured a key person in the Islamic State’s chemical weapons program in Iraq.

The IS operative was captured by American special-operations forces. New gas attacks by the terror group were reported there Wednesday.

The suspect was not identified. His detention¹ was reported last week, but his connection to chemical weapons was not announced until now. The IS suspect was taken during raids in Iraq and Syria by a U.S. “expeditionary targeting force.” Their duty is to collect intelligence and identify high-level IS leaders.

A Pentagon spokesman, Captain Jeff Davis, would not comment on recent operations. But he gave general information about the expeditionary targeting force.

“One of the goals, one of the missions we anticipate they will do is that they will capture a small number of ISIL leaders," he said, using another name for Islamic State.

"The detention of these we anticipate to be very short term. It will be coordinated² with Iraqi authorities.”

Officials in Iraq told VOA that IS fighters fired chemical weapons late Tuesday and early Wednesday. They said IS fired rockets loaded with mustard gas, also known as sulfur³ mustard, into a town north of Baghdad.

Iraqi and Kurdish officials said dozens of civilians⁴ were injured by the attack on Taza Khurmatu. Most residents of the town are Shi'ite Muslim ethnic⁵ Turkmens.

Soran Jalal, head of Taza Khurmatu’s civil defense⁶ office, said “the rockets spread a garlicky smell, and caused nausea⁷ and vomiting⁹." He told VOA that investigators¹⁰ confirmed the weapons carried mustard gas.

A commander in Kirkuk, the Kurdish population center north of Turkmen town, estimated about 30 people required hospital treatment. Lieutenant¹¹ Muhammad Qadir told VOA at least five of the wounded had facial burns caused by chemical agents.

Separately, a police official in Kirkuk said it was determined¹² the rockets were fired from territory controlled by the Islamic State group.

U.S. officials are aware of the group's use of such weapons. They say IS has used chemical weapons more than once in both Iraq and Syria.

“This is a group that does not observe international laws or international norms. They have demonstrated they will stop at nothing to inflict¹³ death and destruction on innocent people,” Pentagon spokesman Davis said.

“Sulfur mustard - it’s usually in a powdered form and it’s put into artillery¹⁴ shells, rockets. And when those blow up it creates a dust cloud that can primarily aggravate¹⁵ but in large doses can absolutely kill.”

U.S. officials say IS is still developing its chemical weapons program. So some reports about the terror group’s use of chemical weapons on the battlefield is “still largely about fear.”

The officials say IS fighters find it easier to make and use improvised¹⁶ explosive devices (IEDs) or suicide bombers¹⁷ to injure and kill people.

Words in This Story

expeditionary – adj. relating to an expedition—a journey by a group of people for a specific purpose

anticipate – v. to think of something that might happen in the future

garlicky – adj. related to the garlic plant that has a strong taste and smell

nausea – n. the feeling in your stomach when you feel like you are going to vomit⁸

vomit – v. to have the food and liquid in your stomach come out through your mouth when you are sick

aggravate – v. to make a problem or an injury more severe

1 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

2 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

3 sulfur   

n.硫，硫磺（=sulphur）

参考例句：

• Sulfur emissions from steel mills become acid rain.炼钢厂排放出的硫形成了酸雨。
• Burning may produce sulfur oxides.燃烧可能会产生硫氧化物。

4 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• 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。

7 nausea   

n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶)

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕期常有恶心的现象。
• He experienced nausea after eating octopus.吃了章鱼后他感到恶心。

8 vomit   

v.呕吐，作呕；n.呕吐物，吐出物

参考例句：

• They gave her salty water to make her vomit.他们给她喝盐水好让她吐出来。
• She was stricken by pain and began to vomit.她感到一阵疼痛，开始呕吐起来。

9 vomiting   

吐

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• Especially when I feel seasick, I can't stand watching someone else vomiting." 尤其晕船的时候，看不得人家呕。”

10 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

13 inflict   

vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担

参考例句：

• Don't inflict your ideas on me.不要把你的想法强加于我。
• Don't inflict damage on any person.不要伤害任何人。

14 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

15 aggravate   

vt.加重(剧)，使恶化；激怒，使恼火

参考例句：

• Threats will only aggravate her.恐吓只能激怒她。
• He would only aggravate the injury by rubbing it.他揉擦伤口只会使伤势加重。

16 improvised   

a.即席而作的,即兴的

参考例句：

• He improvised a song about the football team's victory. 他即席创作了一首足球队胜利之歌。
• We improvised a tent out of two blankets and some long poles. 我们用两条毛毯和几根长竿搭成一个临时帐蓬。

17 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》