2007年VOA标准英语-Search Under Way in Iraq for Three Missing Coal

By Barry Newhouse
Irbil
12 May 2007

A massive search operation is under way south of Baghdad for three members of a U.S.-led patrol that came under attack Saturday morning. U.S. military spokesman Major General William Caldwell said of seven American soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter in the patrol, five have been confirmed dead and three are missing. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from northern Iraq.

General Caldwell said the attack took place some 20 kilometers west of Mahmudiya, a rural area that has been a stronghold of al-Qaida linked militants¹. 

The general said a nearby patrol heard explosions coming from the direction of the attacked unit. Attempts to contact the soldiers were unsuccessful.  Fifteen minutes after the explosions, at 5 am local time, an unmanned vehicle observed two burning vehicles.

General Caldwell says U.S. and Iraqi forces have set up checkpoints in the area and are using aerial drones, helicopters and planes in the rescue effort.

Major General William Caldwell

"Make no mistake. We will never stop looking for our soldiers until their status is determined," he said.  "And we continue to pray for their return."

He did not say whether the five dead soldiers were all Americans, nor did he disclose the fate of the Iraqi army interpreter.

Last June, al-Qaida militants kidnapped two U.S. soldiers in nearby Yusufiya.  Days after their disappearance², their mutilated bodies were found booby-trapped with explosives.

Earlier, in March of last year, intruders staged an attack on an Iraqi family in Mahmoudiya, killing³ the father, mother and two young daughters.  They also raped⁴ a 14 year-old daughter and burned her body.  Five U.S. soldiers were charged in the attack. Three have pleaded guilty and two others are awaiting trial. 

U.S. commanders say areas outside of the Iraqi capital have become more violent as militants flee the ongoing⁵ Baghdad security operation.

Attacks have continued inside the capital city as well. On Friday in Baghdad, suicide bombers⁶ killed at least 23 people and wounded 60 others in attacks on two bridges in the city.

1 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

2 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

3 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。

4 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

5 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

6 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》