2006年VOA标准英语-Palestinian Police Foil Assassination Atte

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
21 May 2006
 
 
Gen. Rashid Abu Shbak
(File photo - Nov. 27, 2004)
  
Palestinian police say they have foiled another assassination¹ attempt against a security chief in the Gaza Strip.  The incident comes against the background of growing tensions between rival Palestinian factions².

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Palestinian police found a 70 kilogram roadside bomb near the Gaza home of security chief Rashid Abu Shbak. Officials say would-be assassins planned to detonate the powerful bomb as Shbak's motorcade passed by.

Shbak, who is loyal to moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, heads several branches of the security forces.

The incident further heightens tensions between the Fatah party, led by Mr. Abbas, and the Islamic militant³ group Hamas, which took control of the Palestinian Authority seven weeks ago. On Saturday, Palestinian intelligence chief Tareq Abu Rajab, also an Abbas loyalist, was wounded in a bomb explosion at his Gaza headquarters. Fatah members blamed Hamas for what they described as an assassination attempt.

The deepening power struggle over control of the security forces has sparked gun battles between the two rival factions during the past two weeks, raising fears of civil war.

Palestinian analyst⁴ Bassam Eid says it could happen.

"Palestinian society has created a kind of an authority with two different heads," he said. "Abbas is one head and the Hamas government is the other head."

International sanctions against Hamas have fueled tensions. The new government is broke, and cannot pay the salaries of 165,000 government employees, including policemen in the Fatah-dominated security forces.

Fearing a humanitarian⁵ crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, brought on by the lack of funds, the Israeli Cabinet approved the transfer of $11-million-worth of medicine and health supplies to the Palestinians.

Israel has withheld⁶ $55-million monthly tax payments to the Palestinian Authority since Hamas took power. Now, Israel is trying to bypass the Hamas government, and funnel⁷ aid directly to the Palestinian people.

1 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

2 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

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 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。

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 funnel   

n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集

参考例句：

• He poured the petrol into the car through a funnel.他用一个漏斗把汽油灌入汽车。
• I like the ship with a yellow funnel.我喜欢那条有黄烟囱的船。