2006年VOA标准英语-Kurds React to Recent Shelling in Border Region

By Brian Padden
Kani Masi, Iraq
24 August 2006

There have been recent reports of Turkey and Iran shelling sites inside the northern Kurdish region of Iraq. The attacks supposedly target the Kurdish terrorist organization the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. Both countries claim the PKK is hiding in the mountains on the Iraqi side of the border, and from there launching terrorist attacks into Turkey and Iran. VOA's Brian Padden visited the village of Kani Masi located near the Turkish border and files this report.

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		Turkish troops near the Iraq border in Hakkari (May, 2006 photo)

To Construction worker Mohammed Zeki the occasional sounds of mortar¹ shells exploding in the nearby mountains have become almost routine.

Zeki says, "The workers and I were here when it happened. And I told them not to be afraid. It is not bombing. It is like a rainstorm. Don't be afraid. There are no terrorists here. So get back to work."

Mohammed Zeki lives and works in the mountain village of Kani Masi, located near the Turkish border. Zeki and most who live here say the occasional shelling into the nearby mountains is being carried out by the Turkish military. They say Iraqi authorities have told them that the Turks are trying to target and kill PKK guerillas operating in the border region. The Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, formerly² advocated the use of violence to unite the Kurds of Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Syria into an independent state, and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.

So far, no one has been killed or injured in the shelling near Kani Masi. Ahmed Ali, a journalist with the Voice of Kurdistan, the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party's radio station, says Turkey has shelled this region 10 times in the last year. Ali pointed³ out the dark brown marks in the distant hills that he says indicate the locations of the shellings. He also shares close-up photographs of what he says are the mortar remains⁴ of one such attack. Ali says he believes Turkey's true intention is to destabilize the Kurdish region of Iraq.

Ali says, "When people are made afraid and intimidated⁵, this grows. In fact, I tell you the shelling by the Turks in our villages is an attempt to destabilize us and destroy our security."

The Turkish military has been operating inside the border region of Iraq since the mid⁶ - 1990's. During a visit to Kani Masi, a VOA reporter passed a number of Turkish military checkpoints and spoke⁷ with the commander of the Turkish forces in the area. He declined VOA's request for an interview.

For its part, The Turkish government does not comment on the presence of Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq and denies its military has carried out artillery⁸ or mortar shelling in the region.

In an interview with VOA, the Kurdistan Regional Government spokesman, Khaled Salih, condemned⁹ the artillery and mortar shelling in the area.

"The government's reaction to all shelling has been very clear," said Khaled Salih. "Its not acceptable."

Before the latest round of shelling, Kurdish officials were cautious in describing the situation in the border region. In an interview with VOA in July, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Nechirvan Barzani, said past PKK terrorist attacks provoked a Turkish military presence in Iraq of approximately one thousand troops.

"The PKK harmed us a lot, " Mr. Barzani said. "And these Turkish troops have come to the Kurdistan region in coordination¹⁰ with the Kurdistan region authorities. They came in 1995/96, the prime minister says. There is nothing serious at the border. They have built up some troops on their side of the border and a couple of times there has been some shelling on the Iraqi Kurdistan side. A couple, nothing more than that."

Now, Salih says the regional government's official position is that negotiations¹¹ are the only way to resolve this complex situation.

"The Kurdistan Regional Government believes strongly that there is no military solution," he said. "For those issues you have to work within a wider political process so that you will bring in groups that are against specific policies. So that they will be more and more involved in the political dialogue rather than making them more militant¹²."

To be effective, Salih concludes, such negotiations should include the PKK.

1 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

2 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

9 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

10 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。

11 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

12 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。