VOA常速英语2007年-New Attack in Mauritania Raises Fears of Terror

By Naomi Schwarz
Dakar
28 December 2007

Mauritania is investigating a second deadly attack less than five days after four French tourists were killed. The government is blaming the killings² on a terrorist organization. In the latest attack, four soldiers were killed near the country's northern border. Naomi Schwarz has more from VOA's West and Central Africa bureau in Dakar.

Spokesman for Mauritania's Interior Minister Mohammed Lamine Shah confirmed there was an attack near a military post in remote northern Mauritania.

Shah says the investigation³ has begun, but so far few details are known. He says that part of the country is vast and sparsely⁴ populated and therefore hard to investigate.

News agencies are reporting a unit near the small El-Ghallawiya military base tried to intercept⁵ two vehicles driving through the desert region. The cars fled and opened fire on the soldiers, killing¹ several and seizing their weapons.

The gunmen's identities are not yet known, but two years ago Islamic militant⁶ terrorists killed 15 soldiers in the same region.

Local journalist Salem Bokari says some in the government are also linking this attack to terrorists.

"The prime minister of Mauritania, Zeine Ould Zeidane, told the deputies in the national assembly that the armed men are belonging to the terrorist group," Bokari said.

This is the second attack in Mauritania in less than a week. Mauritania law enforcement officials are working with counterparts in Mali and Senegal to track down three suspects in the last fatal shooting, that Mauritanian officials blame on a branch of al-Qaida based in neighboring Algeria.

Journalist Bokari says such attacks have been very rare in Mauritania in the past, but the two latest incidents indicate the situation is changing.

"Something is sure, this is the beginning of something," Bokari said. "This is a beginning of a very big challenge for Mauritanian security and armed services."

In just two weeks, hundreds of participants from the world-famous Dakar Rally will pass through Mauritania in the course of the two-week road race from Europe to Senegal.

Now, organizers have flown to Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott, to meet with government officials to go over safety precautions for the race.

Interior minister spokesman Shah says this week's violence should not interfere⁷ with the rally. He says Mauritania has taken all possible measures to ensure the security of the rally, overseen⁸ by a committee including the army, police, and rally organizers.

1 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

2 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

3 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。

4 sparsely   

adv.稀疏地；稀少地；不足地；贫乏地

参考例句：

• Relative to the size, the city is sparsely populated. 与其面积相比，这个城市的人口是稀少的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The ground was sparsely covered with grass. 地面上稀疏地覆盖草丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 intercept   

vt.拦截，截住，截击

参考例句：

• His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
• Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

6 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。

7 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

8 overseen   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was overseen stealing the letters. 他被人撞见在偷信件。 来自辞典例句
• It will be overseen by ThomasLi, director of IBM China Research Laboratory. 该实验室由IBM中国研究院院长李实恭(ThomasLi)引导。 来自互联网