2006年VOA标准英语-US Official Reiterates Concern About Militant E

By Dan Robinson
Washington
30 June 2006

The top U.S. official for Africa has renewed Washington's concern about what she calls militant¹ elements within Somalia's Supreme² Islamic Council that she says may be providing a haven³ for terrorists. VOA's Dan Robinson reports on comments by Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Fraser in testimony⁴ Thursday to a congressional committee.

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Appearing before a joint⁵ hearing of the House Africa, and International Terrorism and Nonproliferation subcommittees, Assistant Secretary Fraser made clear U.S. concern about Somalia becoming a base for terrorists. "It is indeed the case that the Union of Islamic Courts is a heterogeneous⁶ group of courts, Islamic courts, and that there are elements in it that are jihadist in nature, militant hardliners, and indeed are providing haven for terrorists within Mogadishu and within Somalia," she said.

The Union of Islamic Courts, now known as the Somali Supreme Islamic Courts Council, announced Thursday that it was claiming authority over the entire country.

The group's overall leader, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Awey, is on a U.S. terrorist watch list as a suspected collaborator⁷ with al-Qaida.

Fraser says the U.S. continues to support a return to a central government, and the transitional federal charter, while working with other nations to prevent Somalia from continuing to be a source of regional instability.

However, she refers to what she calls mixed messages emerging from Mogadishu regarding policies on such things as Islamic [sharia] law, and had these suggestions for the Islamic Courts Council:

"What is important really is not to reach out to the U.S. but rather to reach out to the [Somali] Transitional Federal Government as we have encouraged this dialogue, [which] the first meeting took place in Khartoum. But beyond that also to demonstrate with actions. Stop the expansion, stop hostilities⁸. Right now there is fighting taking place, to stop all hostilities and fighting and also to turn over these terrorists that we know are in Mogadishu. So speak with action," she said.

John Prendergast, of the International Crisis Group, has been a sharp critic of U.S. policy regarding Somalia.

He urges a new U.S. effort to engage all elements in the Islamic Courts Union, to avoid the prospect⁹ of radicals¹⁰ coming to dominate it:

"It is crucial I think for us to engage with all elements of the Islamic Courts [Council], but particularly the court's executive committee which is headed by Sheikh Sharif. The Islamic Courts have invited an international inquiry¹¹ into its links with al-Qaida, and whether terrorists are being harbored in Somalia. We need to immediately test the Islamic Courts Union and see if it would provided access to investigators¹² into Somalia to have a look and see whether people are actually being provided that safe haven," he said.

Prendergast says early engagement with the Islamic Courts Union would head off, what he calls, its Talebanization later on.

In her testimony, Assistant Secretary Fraser noted¹³ that the next meeting of the International Somalia Contact Group, comprising the U.S., United Nations, African Union, European Union and others, is scheduled for July 7 in Sweden to discuss coordination¹⁴ of next steps.

1 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。

2 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。

3 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

4 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。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 heterogeneous   

adj.庞杂的；异类的

参考例句：

• There is a heterogeneous mass of papers in the teacher's office.老师的办公室里堆满了大批不同的论文。
• America has a very heterogeneous population.美国人口是由不同种族组成的。

7 collaborator   

n.合作者，协作者

参考例句：

• I need a collaborator to help me. 我需要个人跟我合作，帮我的忙。
• His collaborator, Hooke, was of a different opinion. 他的合作者霍克持有不同的看法。

8 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

9 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

10 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

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。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

11 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

12 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》

13 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

14 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。