2006年VOA标准英语-US National Security Whistleblowers Testif

By Dan Robinson
Washington
15 February 2006

A congressional panel has heard from government and military whistleblowers who have faced reprisals¹ after speaking out against policies they felt violated the law. One of the witnesses has acknowledged being a source for a New York Times report that revealed the existence of a controversial classified domestic spying program approved by President Bush:

-----------------------------------------------------

On issues ranging from abuses by some members of the military at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, to CIA and FBI counter-terrorism efforts, whistleblowers have played a key role in bringing wrongdoing to the attention of Congress and the public.

 

Christopher Shays   
  

They do so at great peril², but Republican Congressman³ Christopher Shays calls their courage in breaking bureaucratic⁴ ranks crucial to helping⁵ Congress and the public uncover corruption⁶, fraud and waste:

"Seldom in our history has the need for the whistleblowers unfiltered voice been more urgent, particularly in the realms of national security and intelligence," he said.

Tuesday's five-hour-long hearing heard from five men who allege⁷ they faced retaliation⁸.

Samuel Provance, a U.S. Army Intelligence Specialist, who objected to the treatment of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq said "After what had happened at Abu Ghraib became a matter of public knowledge, and there was a demand for action, young soldiers were scapegoated⁹ while superiors misrepresented what had happened and misdirected attention away from what was really going on. I considered all of this conduct to be dishonorable and inconsistent with the traditions of the Army. I was ashamed and embarrassed to be associated with it."

Provance was demoted after refusing what he calls demands by superiors to withhold¹⁰ the truth and support, what he calls, outright¹¹ lies about Abu Ghraib.

Other testimony¹² came from Lieutenant¹³ Colonel Anthony Shaffer, a CIA-trained intelligence officer and Afghanistan war veteran, who was part of a Pentagon program called Able Danger, working to identify terrorists before the September 11, 2001 attacks.

He says superiors tried to silence him, including revoking¹⁴ his government security clearance¹⁵, after he told the independent September 11 Commission that hijacker¹⁶ Mohamed Atta was identified one year before the attacks:

"I became a whistleblower not out of choice, but out of necessity. The necessity to tell the truth. The commitment to defend this country is not simply going into combat but actually trying to fight the bureaucracy which has slowed us down in many instances," he said.

Appearing for the first time before a public congressional hearing was Russell Tice, a former National Security Agency employee who acknowledged being a source for a New York Times report about a once-secret domestic spying program authorized¹⁷ by President Bush:

"On my way here in here, walking by the Supreme¹⁸ Court, I noticed [the inscription] Equal Justice Under The Law. In the intelligence community, as an intelligence employee, there is no equal justice under the law. Whistleblower protection acts do not apply to us," he said.

Controversy¹⁹ over the program, which involves interception²⁰ of some communications between individuals in the U.S. and overseas, has led to congressional hearings and criticism from Republicans and Democrats²¹ of President Bush's justifications²² for approving it.

President Bush and others in his administration say U.S. anti-terrorism efforts have been harmed by leaks that helped reveal the existence of the program.

Also testifying was Michael German, a former F.B.I. special agent who resigned to protest what he calls an accepted system of retaliation that hampers²³ anti-terrorism efforts.

Witnesses representing the Pentagon and government agency legal offices sought to explain procedures they follow under laws designed to protect whistleblowers.

"Whistleblowers serve a valuable function in exposing waste, fraud and abuse in government programs and in so doing they deserve protection from retaliation," said Glenn Fine, the Inspector²⁴ General in the Department of Justice:

Attorney Mark Zaid, who has represented government whistleblowers, says those who risk careers to uncover abuses need to have greater protections:

"It is long overdue²⁵ that Congress exercises its full weight to create adequate protections for national security whistleblowers, as well as anyone who falls victim to a security clearance process that is rife²⁶ with abuse," he said.

Lawmakers agreed with Mr. Zaid's argument that changes are needed now more than ever, against the background of efforts by the Bush administration to expand executive power.

Members of Congress appear ready to take legislative²⁷ steps to strengthen what many see as a broken system of legal protections for individuals vulnerable to reprisals.

1 reprisals   

n.报复（行为）( reprisal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They did not want to give evidence for fear of reprisals. 他们因为害怕报复而不想作证。
• They took bloody reprisals against the leaders. 他们对领导进行了血腥的报复。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

3 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

4 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

8 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 scapegoated   

v.使成为替罪羊( scapegoat的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• As employees gathered around television sets Friday, they groused about getting scapegoated in Washington. 高盛员工周五聚集在电视机前收看相关消息，他们抱怨说自己成了华盛顿的替罪羊。 来自互联网

10 withhold   

v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡

参考例句：

• It was unscrupulous of their lawyer to withhold evidence.他们的律师隐瞒证据是不道德的。
• I couldn't withhold giving some loose to my indignation.我忍不住要发泄一点我的愤怒。

11 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

12 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。

13 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。

14 revoking   

v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• There are no provisions for revoking the prize. 没有撤销获奖的规定。 来自互联网
• The decision revoking the patent right shall be registered and announced by the Patent Office. 撤销专利权的决定，由专利局登记和公告。 来自互联网

15 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。

16 hijacker   

n.拦路抢劫者

参考例句：

• We needed a credibIe hijacker who knew the pIane. 也需要一个懂飞机的让人相信的劫机犯。
• I've never heard of a hijacker Ietting passengers deboard before. 以前也从没听说过有劫机犯让乘客离开。

17 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

18 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

19 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

20 interception   

n.拦截；截击；截取；截住，截断；窃听

参考例句：

• Aerial photography can provide valuable information on precipitation, evapotraspiration, interception, and runoff. 航空摄影可提供有关降水量、蒸发蒸腾量、入渗和径流量的有价值的资料。
• Light interception and distribution in hedgerow orchards with different alleyway widths is indicated in Fig. 56. 图56显示篱壁果园不同行间宽度的光能截取和分配的情况。

21 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 justifications   

正当的理由，辩解的理由( justification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• If he a vulgar person, she does not have justifications for him. 如果他是个低级趣味的人，她早就不会理他了。
• It depends on their effect on competition and possible justifications. 这则取决于它们对于竞争的影响和可能存在的正当抗辩理由。

23 hampers   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Prejudice sometimes hampers a person from doing the right thing. 有时候，偏见会妨碍人正确行事。
• This behavior is the opposite of modeless feedback, and it hampers flow. 这个行为有悖于非模态的反馈，它阻碍了流。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

24 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

25 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

26 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。

27 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。