2007年VOA标准英语-Somali Capital Tense Following Air Strikes, Pre

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
10 January 2007

Tensions are running high in Somalia's capital Wednesday following a U.S. air strike on al-Qaida hideouts in the south and a statement by the interim¹ president that ousted² Islamist leaders should be punished. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

 
Troops walk in a deserted³ street Mogadishu, 10 Jan 2007
There were reports of gunfire and a grenade attack in the Mogadishu neighborhoods of Arafat and K4 Wednesday.

There was also a rocket attack late Tuesday on a facility housing Ethiopian troops that have been backing the Somali government.

The attacks follow a statement interim President Abdullahi Yusuf made Tuesday saying that his government would not negotiate with the leadership of the Islamic Courts Union. Yusuf said he also supported the U.S. air strikes against terror targets in southern Somalia.

 
Former President Abdi Kasim, right, and President Abdullahi Yusuf, left, talk to journalists after their meeting in Mogadishu, 10 Jan 2007
President Yusuf says he and his colleagues will never forgive the leaders of the Islamic Courts Union because they did bad things to Somalis, and therefore they must be punished.

He says there will be no dialogue with the Islamic Courts Union, because the Courts have collapsed⁴.

A source in Mogadishu tells VOA many Somalis are angry at President Yusuf for supporting the air strikes and for saying that his government will not hold talks with the Islamists.

Most Somalis are sensitive about foreign intervention⁵ in their country, whether it be from Ethiopian troops or U.S. air raids.

Many in the capital also support the Islamic Courts Union, saying that the Islamists brought law and order into an otherwise chaotic⁶ capita.

The U.S. military Tuesday confirmed conducting an air strike against suspected al-Qaida leaders in southern Somalia.

 
Bryan Whitman (file photo)
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters Tuesday that an AC-130 gunship attacked what he called the region's principal al-Qaida leaders on Sunday. Media reports said the attack occurred Monday.

Whitman said the attack was based on what he called "credible⁷ intelligence." There has been no official confirmation⁸ that any of the intended targets were hit, but a government source in Somalia says one leading terror suspect was killed. Somali officials say they are trying to verify the report.

 

1 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

2 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

3 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

4 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

5 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

6 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

7 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

8 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。