2007年VOA标准英语-Noriega Lawyers Continue Fight Against Extradit

By Brian Wagner
Miami
10 September 2007
 

Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega

Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega remains¹ in U.S. custody² after his parole date, as his lawyers fight an extradition³ request from France. The 73-year-old Noriega was scheduled to be released Sunday when his drug and rackteering sentence ended.

A federal judge (William Hoeveler) in Miami ruled Friday that Noriega can be extradited to France to face money-laundering⁴ charges. The judge also lifted a temporary stay of extradition, rejecting defense⁵ arguments that France would not grant Noriega the protections of prisoner-of-war status. Noriega's attorneys say they will appeal.

VOA's Brian Wagner looks at Panama's troubled past under Noriega.

Former General Manuel Noriega ruled Panama for more than 16 years despite never winning an election. Once an ally of the United States, Noriega sparked condemnation⁶ when his government was blamed for killing⁷ political opponents, rigging elections and trafficking Colombian cocaine⁸ into the United States. After months of tensions, U.S. military forces invaded Panama in late 1989 and seized Noriega.

Guy Lewis

Former U.S. attorney Guy Lewis helped convict Noriega in 1992 for drug and racketeering charges. He says the case was historic. "This is the first time -- and the last time -- that a leader of a country has ever been forcibly removed, in this case by the [Army's] 82nd Airborne Division, and brought to the United States to stand trial."

Lewis says that during the trial Noriega felt that the charges against him were politically motivated and asked courts to declare him a prisoner of war. Lewis says what investigators⁹ found was a vast drug network linked to Panama.

"We always felt that this was a drug case. Clearly it had political ramifications¹⁰, but we were trying to prove this guy smuggled¹¹ dope, facilitated the smuggling¹² of dope through his country, protected it, laundered¹³ the money that came back and that is what his role was."

Noriega's lawyers have filed court appeals claiming that his P.O.W. status blocks any extradition to France, where he faces money laundering charges. U.S. courts have rejected the appeals. Panama also has asked for Noriega's extradition to face charges of embezzlement¹⁴, corruption¹⁵ and murder.

Luis Botello

But many Panamanians support the French extradition claim. Luis Botello, a former Panamanian journalist who lives in Washington, D.C., says few people believe the 73-year-old former leader would face justice at home. "Even though many Panamanians would like to see him be punished in Panama, there is little confidence in the government. Many people want justice to be served, and if that can only happen abroad, then Noriega should go to France."

Botello says there is frustration¹⁶ that many of Noriega's former allies remain in power, and, he says, there has been no real effort to prosecute¹⁷ others accused of crimes during Noriega's rule. Botello says the recent extradition debate revives difficult memories about Noriega's dictatorship. "The fact that Noriega's possible return has stirred up so many strong emotions some 17 years later, shows that Panama is not ready to have him here yet, even if he went to prison."

Botello says Panama's government still needs to rebuild the public's confidence, which was damaged during the dictatorship. He says that may be easier without the former general.

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

3 extradition   

n.引渡（逃犯）

参考例句：

• The smuggler is in prison tonight,awaiting extradition to Britain.这名走私犯今晚在监狱，等待引渡到英国。
• He began to trouble concerning the extradition laws.他开始费尽心思地去想关于引渡法的问题。

4 laundering   

n.洗涤（衣等），洗烫（衣等）；洗（钱）v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的现在分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

7 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。

8 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

9 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 ramifications   

n.结果，后果( ramification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These changes are bound to have widespread social ramifications. 这些变化注定会造成许多难以预料的社会后果。
• What are the ramifications of our decision to join the union? 我们决定加入工会会引起哪些后果呢？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

12 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

13 laundered   

v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的过去式和过去分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Send these sheets to be laundered. 把这些床单送去洗熨。 来自辞典例句
• The air seems freshly laundered. Sydney thinks of good drying weather. 空气似乎被清洗过，让悉妮想起晴朗干爽适合晒衣服的好天气。 来自互联网

14 embezzlement   

n.盗用，贪污

参考例句：

• He was accused of graft and embezzlement and was chained and thrown into prison.他因被指控贪污盗窃而锒铛入狱。
• The judge sent him to prison for embezzlement of funds.法官因他盗用公款将其送入监牢。

15 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

16 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

17 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？