VOA常速英语2007年-Italy Anti-Terror Operation Leads to Arrests Ac

By Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
06 November 2007

An anti-terrorism operation ordered by Italian prosecutors¹ has led to the arrests of 17 Algerians and Tunisians in Italy, Britain, France and Portugal.  Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome.

Milan prosecutors ordered the anti-terrorism operation as part of an investigation², which has been under way since 2003.  Italian police said at least 20 arrest warrants were issued for suspected Islamic extremists.

Police said the operation was carried out in four European countries including Italy, Britain, France, and Portugal.  The men arrested were all Tunisians and Algerians and believed to be setting up Salafist jihadi militant³ cells.

Police executing the warrants said they discovered al-Qaida manuals on how to produce explosives and also seized poisons and instructions on guerrilla warfare⁴.

Interior Minister Giuliano Amato expressed satisfaction at the arrests and said it was another effort at breaking up Islamic terrorist networks that operate in Europe.

He said these cells were and are present also in Italy with the principal aim of recruiting, training and making means available for fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Minister Amato added that the operation was an example of strong cooperation between police forces in a number of European nations.

The minister said the terror network knows no borders and is able to organize itself and its operations because of its presence in several countries.  He added that European authorities also must react as a network.  It is necessary to go beyond one's own borders in the same way these Islamic networks do.

Police said the raids were carried out in four different northern Italian cities and arrests were made in Britain and Portugal.  Two warrants were also issued in France.  The suspects were accused of illegal immigration, falsifying identity documents and helping⁵ to hide people sought for terrorist activity.

1 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

2 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。

3 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。

4 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。