VOA常速英语2007-Shi'ite Leader Says No to Permanent Foreign Base

By Jim Randle
Irbil, Iraq
13 October 2007

In Iraq Saturday, a key Shi'ite political figure said there should be no permanent foreign military bases in Iraq. VOA's Jim Randle reports from northern Iraq.

Ammar al-Hakim, the second-ranking person in Iraq's largest Shi'ite party, spoke¹ during a prayer service Saturday in Baghdad for the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. 

Hakim also called for unity² among Iraqis, and the end of sectarian strife³.

He told worshipers Iraqis are taking the first steps toward a unified⁴ nation, and will succeed only if they have unity of purpose, and the shared goal of solving the nation's problems.

He spoke in place of his father, Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, the leader of the Supreme⁵ Islamic Iraq Council.  Abdel Aziz al-Hakim is recovering from cancer, and his son is viewed as his likely successor.

In the meantime, the U.S. military says a high-ranking officer is scheduled to go on trial October 15 on charges of aiding the enemy by providing an unmonitored cell phone to prison detainees. 

Lt. Col. William Steele was once a commander at Camp Cropper, a large detention⁶ center in Iraq run by the U.S. military.   Camp Cropper held the ousted⁷ Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein before he was executed in December 2006.

In a pre-trial hearing earlier this year, witnesses testified that Steele violated military rules by approving the use of U.S. funds to buy Cuban cigars for Saddam.  That however does not appear in the statement released Saturday by the U.S. military.   

Steele is also accused of failing to properly store and protect classified information. The military also says he had an improper⁸ relationship with a female interpreter.
 
In a note to journalists, the U.S. military in Iraq says Steele could face life in prison if convicted of the most serious charges.

The officer has already pleaded guilty to other charges, including mis-handling classified information and possessing pornographic videos.

Those guilty pleas could bring him a sentence of up to six years and dismissal from the service.

1 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。

2 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

4 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

5 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。

6 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

7 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。

8 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。