2007年VOA标准英语-US Air Strike Targets Militia in Southern Iraqi

By Margaret Besheer
Bagdad
07 April 2007

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A US military convoy drives through Diwaniyah, south of Baghdad, Iraq, 06 Apr 2007

Iraqi and U.S. forces continued security operations for a second day in the southern city of Diwaniyah. Meanwhile, Iraqi officials say a regional conference on Iraq will be held early next month in Egypt. From Baghdad, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more on the day's developments.

The U.S. military says its forces launched an air strike on Diwaniyah Saturday as clashes between militiamen and security forces continued for a second straight day. The military said the fighters were using shoulder-fired rocket propelled grenades.

 

U.S. military spokesman Lieutenant³ Colonel Christopher Garver said a local resident tipped police off about the fighters.

"We received information about the location of the militia² members from a local who provided a tip to police," said Garver. "The information was translated into an air strike mission by the Iraqis and a U.S. F-16 [aircraft] came in and attacked the target and destroyed it."

Lieutenant Colonel Garver said it is the first time an air strike was conducted with Iraqi soldiers talking to coalition⁴ pilots.

"This is a big step forward for the Iraqi army, for the Iraqi security force, to be able to coordinate⁵ this type of complex operation," he added.

Meanwhile, operations continued in Baghdad in support of the security plan. Military officials say U.S. and Iraqi troops discovered weapons caches and bomb making materials and captured terrorist suspects in the capital.

The U.S. military reported the deaths of two more American soldiers in separate bomb blasts in Baghdad. Both attacks occurred Friday. April has been a particularly deadly month for U.S. troops, with 17 killed in the first week.

In a separate development, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari says a conference on Iraq will be held May 3rd and 4th in Egypt. It will include regional neighbors as well as the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and so-called Group of Eight industrialized nations.

Zebari said the purpose of the meeting is to involve Iraq's neighbors and other influential⁶ countries in supporting Iraq's security.

This conference follows an ambassador-level meeting held in Baghdad last month that also discussed the security situation.

1 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

2 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

3 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

4 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

5 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

6 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。