2006年VOA标准英语-Top US Marine 'Gravely Concerned' About Re

By Cindy Saine
Washington
07 June 2006

The top U.S. Marine¹ faced tough questions Wednesday about reports some of his troops killed unarmed Iraqi civilians² in two Iraqi towns. Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, General Michael Hagee said he is accountable for the organization, training and equipping of U.S. Marines around the world.

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

General Michael Hagee  
  

The commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps³ says he is very concerned about the allegations regarding the actions of some of his troops in the Iraqi towns of Haditha last November and in Hamdaniya two months ago.

Fielding questions from reporters at the Pentagon, General Michael Hagee sought to reassure⁴ the public that any U.S. Marine who committed a crime would be punished.

"Make no mistake, a Marine who has been found to have violated our standards will be held accountable," said General Hagee. "It is an important part of who we are, and all Marines expect it. High standards and accountability define Marines."

News reports say U.S. Marines may have shot and killed as many as 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians in Haditha after a bomb killed a member of their squad⁵. Marines have said the civilians were killed by a roadside bomb. There are also allegations that officers may have lied about what occurred to cover up the killings⁶.

The allegation in the Hamdaniyah case is that Marines pulled an unarmed Iraqi man out of his home and shot him without provocation⁷ in April. Marines say they found the man digging a hole for a bomb and killed him in a brief gun battle.

Both incidents are now under investigation⁸ by the U.S. military, and General Hagee pledged his full support.

"We want to insure the investigations⁹ are complete with respect to what actually happened on the ground and actions taken or not taken by the chain of command," he said.

The general did not say what investigators¹⁰ have found out so far, saying he cannot comment on any aspect of an ongoing¹¹ probe. He said it is important that the investigations are thorough, and that those Marines involved receive due process and have their rights protected.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, Republican Senator John Warner, has pledged to hold hearings on the Haditha incident as soon as the investigation is complete. He sent a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Tuesday asking him to provide witnesses for a first hearing as soon as possible

1 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

2 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。

3 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

4 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

5 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

6 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

7 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

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 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。