2006年VOA标准英语-Saddam Hears Testimony in Genocide Trial

By Jim Randle
Irbil, Iraq
11 October 2006
 
Saddam Hussein's genocide trial continued in Baghdad, one day after the ex-leader was expelled from the courtroom. Kurdish witnesses have been telling the court they were raped², abused, and kept in horrible conditions.

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Saddam Hussein gestures as he addresses the court during his trial, Oct. 11, 2006  
  
Saddam Hussein was back in the courtroom Wednesday, and he and Chief Judge Mohammed Oreibi argued with each other, but in a more subdued³ fashion than the shouting matches that have characterized other recent trial sessions.

The judge told Saddam that he could talk about legal points, but if he threatened witnesses, his microphone would be cut off.

Saddam quoted a Koranic verse about always fighting against enemies, and the television broadcast of the trial was silent for a while.

The court also heard Kurdish witnesses, including Abdul Khaliq Quadir Aziz, wearing a black and white turban and a green, Kurdish-style shirt.

He said Iraqi military forces attacked his village from two directions with tanks and guns capturing many people, including his sister, brother and father. His siblings⁴ disappeared, and his father described terrible conditions in the detention⁵ camp where he was confined. 

 
Abdul Khaliq Qadir Aziz pauses as he delivers testimony⁶, Wednesday Oct. 11, 2006
  
Aziz said, according to his father, when they buried an inmate⁷ who died in the camp, dogs came along later, and dug up the corpse⁸ and ate parts of it. He also said guards beat a captive to death with a cable.

During earlier hearings on Monday and Tuesday, Kurdish witnesses said they were herded⁹ into prison camps where they suffered disease, hunger, rape¹, and and watched many relatives die.

Prosecutors¹⁰ say 182,000 Kurds were killed in camps, bombings and poison gas attacks between 1987 and 1988 in a campaign codenamed Operation Anfal.

Ex-Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and his co-defendants¹¹ insist the operation was a legitimate¹² military campaign against separatist guerrillas.

Saddam and his cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majid, a former military commander in charge of gas attacks, are accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

The five other co-defendants are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. All seven could be hanged if they are convicted.

The defendants' lawyers are boycotting¹³ the trial to protest alleged¹⁴ interference by the Iraqi government, which removed the previous chief judge for alleged bias¹⁵ in favor of the defendants.

Court-appointed lawyers are now conducting the defense¹⁶.

Saddam and some former subordinates also face a separate trial in connection with the deaths of 148 Shi'ites in the 1980s in the town of Dujail. That case is set to reconvene next week.

1 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

2 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

3 subdued   

adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
• I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

4 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

5 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。

6 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

7 inmate   

n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人

参考例句：

• I am an inmate of that hospital.我住在那家医院。
• The prisoner is his inmate.那个囚犯和他同住一起。

8 corpse   

n.尸体，死尸

参考例句：

• What she saw was just an unfeeling corpse.她见到的只是一具全无感觉的尸体。
• The corpse was preserved from decay by embalming.尸体用香料涂抹以防腐烂。

9 herded   

群集，纠结( herd的过去式和过去分词 )； 放牧； （使）向…移动

参考例句：

• He herded up his goats. 他把山羊赶拢在一起。
• They herded into the corner. 他们往角落里聚集。

10 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

11 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

12 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

13 boycotting   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
• The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。

14 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

15 bias   

n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见

参考例句：

• They are accusing the teacher of political bias in his marking.他们在指控那名教师打分数有政治偏见。
• He had a bias toward the plan.他对这项计划有偏见。

16 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。