2006年VOA标准英语- Senior Al-Qaida Officials Reported Killed

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
19 January 2006

Media reports say last week's missile attack in Pakistan killed at least three al-Qaida leaders, including one of the terror group's top chemical weapons experts. 

Area damaged by missile strike targeting al-Qaida leaders in Damadola, Saturday, Jan. 14  
  
U.S. news reports say Pakistani officials have identified one of those killed as Midhat Mursi, an Egyptian also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri.

Security experts describe Mursi as a senior al-Qaida commander and the terror group's chemical and biological weapons expert.

Mursi allegedly ran al-Qaida's Derunta training camp in Afghanistan and produced rough textbooks on how to create weapons of mass destruction.

He is on a U.S. list of most-wanted terror suspects, with a $5 million bounty¹ for his capture.

There has been no official confirmation² of the reports from either the Pakistani or the U.S. governments.

Thursday, Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed acknowledged that foreigners were killed in the attack on a remote border town, but says local supporters removed their bodies.

"These militants⁴ took their bodies and we are investigating. We are getting information about who they are," he said. 

Pakistani tribal⁵ villagers view damage caused by airstrikes in village of Damadola, near the Afghan border  
  
According to news reports, the U.S. missile attack targeted al-Qaida's deputy commander, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was expected to attend a dinner in the village on the night of the attack.

Local officials say Zawahiri likely failed to appear and so escaped injury.

But unnamed Pakistani officials are widely reported as claiming Mursi and two other senior al-Qaida commanders died in the attack, including Zawahiri's Moroccan son-in-law.

Also among those reportedly killed was Abu Obaidah al-Misri, the chief of insurgent⁶ operations in neighboring Kunar province in Afghanistan.

The air strike killed 18 civilians⁷, including a number of women and children, sparking widespread anti-American protests throughout the country. On Thursday, more than a thousand people in western Pakistan joined a rally led by Islamic political groups.

Pakistani political analyst⁸ Hassan Askari says the new reports are unlikely to stop the protests or influence hardcore anti-American sentiment.

"Their attitude is not expected to change. However, others who are not really part of the Islamic political parties or militant³ groups, their opinion will definitely be softened⁹ by this information," he said.

Pakistan lodged¹⁰ a formal complaint over the attack with the U.S. ambassador in Islamabad.

And Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz says he will pursue the matter during a meeting in Washington with President Bush next week.

The United States has not confirmed the attack but U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has promised to address Pakistani concerns about it.

1 bounty   

n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与

参考例句：

• He is famous for his bounty to the poor.他因对穷人慷慨相助而出名。
• We received a bounty from the government.我们收到政府给予的一笔补助金。

2 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

3 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

4 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

5 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

6 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

7 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。

8 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

9 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

10 lodged   

v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》