2007年VOA标准英语-Pakistani Authorities Search for Explosives Lef

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
11 July 2007

Pakistani officials say the fight to clear Islamabad's Red Mosque¹ of well-armed militants² is complete. From Islamabad VOA Correspondent Benjamin Sand reports the bloody⁴ siege left at least nine soldiers and 50 militants dead, including the mosque's radical⁵ leader, Abdul Rashid Ghazi.

Pakistani army troops keep an eye on the area near Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, in Islamabad, 11 July 2007

For the first time in over a week Pakistan's capital city was largely silent Wednesday.

By early evening, officials said the battle to clear the radical Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, was effectively over.

Military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad told reporters security forces are now focusing on clearing the area of any potential explosives.

"We don't want unexploded grenades or mines or any other explosives lying around so this area needs to be thoroughly⁶ cleansed⁷ and sanitized, so that is the second phase of the operation," he said.

Militants reportedly defended the mosque with machine guns, rocket launchers and grenades.

Arshad says land mines and other explosive devices were also planted throughout much of the compound.

He said at least nine soldiers and around 50 militants were killed during the two-day assault, which authorities called "Operation Silence."

He said soldiers are still working their way through the sprawling⁸ complex and a final death toll⁹ is not yet available.  He said there are no reports of any women or children being killed, despite earlier claims that the militants were hiding behind human shields.

State Minister of Information Tariq Azim says those in the mosque put up "a much stiffer resistance than expected."

"They were hardened militants," he said.  "One could tell they were very well trained. It seems they had prepared for this for a long time."

Pakistan army armored vehicle moves towards the forward positions at the Red Mosque in Islamabad, 10 July 2007

More than 80 people have died since the bloody standoff began last Tuesday.

Azim says around 1,300 people fled the mosque before military operations began. The government says a number of "hardcore" terrorists with possible links to al-Qaida remained inside.
 
The Red Mosque was widely regarded as a center of Islamic militancy¹⁰, and its leaders repeatedly challenged the government's authority in recent months.

Students from the mosque's religious school, or Madrassa, led a controversial anti-vice campaign in the city, kidnapping alleged¹¹ prostitutes and threatening shops that sold music.

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Pakistani Ranger stands alert with an assault rifle near a mosque in Karachi, 11 Jul 2007

The standoff was widelseen as a key test for Pakistan's moderate president, General Pervez Musharraf, who previously¹³ vowed¹⁴ to crack down on religious extremists.

Public opinion Wednesday remained generally pro-Musharraf, and newspaper editorials widely praised the government assault.

But officials say the government is bracing¹⁵ for a possible militant³ backlash, especially along the border with Afghanistan, where the mosque's pro-Taleban leaders had many supporters.

1 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

2 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。

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 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

7 cleansed   

弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The nurse cleansed the wound before stitching it. 护士先把伤口弄干净后才把它缝合。
• The notorious Hell Row was burned down in a fire, and much dirt was cleansed away. 臭名远场的阎王路已在一场大火中化为乌有，许多焦土灰烬被清除一空。

8 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

9 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

10 militancy   

n.warlike behavior or tendency

参考例句：

• Full of militancy and revolutionary ardour, the people of all nationalities in the country are working hard for the realization of the four modernizations. 全国各族人民意气风发， 斗志昂扬，为实现四个现代化而奋战。
• The seniority system is another factor that leads to union militancy. 排资论辈制度也是导致工会好斗争的另一因素。

11 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

12 ranger   

n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员

参考例句：

• He was the head ranger of the national park.他曾是国家公园的首席看守员。
• He loved working as a ranger.他喜欢做护林人。

13 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

14 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

15 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。