VOA标准英语2008年-Pakistan Rejects US Plans to Strike Terrorists

By Michael Bowman
Washington
06 January 2008

Pakistan says it will not permit the United States to unilaterally hunt terrorists on its soil, despite a common desire to defeat radical¹ Islamist militants². VOA's Michael Bowman reports, the statements from Pakistani officials follow a U.S. media report that the Bush administration has considered expanding U.S. military and intelligence operations in Pakistan's tribal³ regions, thought to be a possible hiding place for Osama bin⁴ Laden⁵.

Pakistan's foreign ministry⁶ is downplaying the New York Times story as speculative⁷, but military officials in Islamabad are far more blunt in rejecting possible U.S. activities within their country's borders.

A Pakistani army spokesman, Major General Waheed Arshad, says Pakistan has been clear on the issue, and no foreign forces will be allowed to operate inside Pakistan.

The New York Times is reporting that President Bush's top advisors⁸ have debated stepping up covert⁹ operations in Pakistan's northern tribal regions, where the country's central government exercises little control. The Times says the move was considered amid concerns that terrorist forces are intensifying¹⁰ efforts to destabilize Pakistan, a critical U.S. ally in the war on terror with a nuclear arsenal¹¹.

Speaking on CNN's Late Edition program, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Mahmud Ali Durrani, said his government takes the terrorist threat seriously and is actively¹² combating it on its own.

"We are totally focused on destroying al-Qaida and the Taleban network, and not just one person," said Mahmud Ali Durrani. "We are looking at the broader issue."

The ambassador added that neither Pakistan nor the United States knows precisely¹³ where terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden may be hiding, but if his whereabouts were known inside Pakistan, then Pakistani forces would have, in his words, "taken him out."

The delicate situation in Pakistan, including the postponement¹⁴ of national elections following the assassination¹⁵ last month of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has been the subject of commentary by U.S. presidential candidates. Months ago, Democratic Senator Barack Obama made headlines when he stated that he would not hesitate to authorize¹⁶ unilateral U.S. military action to eliminate bin Laden in Pakistani territory.

Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press program, Republican Senator John McCain, who once pledged to pursue bin Laden, as he put it, "to the gates of hell", suggested he would not have to bypass Pakistan's government to kill or capture the al-Qaida leader.

"[President] Musharraf and I have a relationship that goes back a number of years," said John McCain. "I would be in constant communication with him. And I am sure that, publicly or privately¹⁷, he would be working very closely [with the United States]."

McCain described Mr. Musharraf as a "good man" but someone "who has made mistakes". He added that Pakistan needs free and fair elections to move forward.

The senator's last point was echoed by Democratic presidential contender Bill Richardson. But, speaking on Late Edition, Richardson said President Musharraf should step down.

"What is in our best interest is a broadly-based democratic government in Pakistan," said Bill Richardson. "Musharraf is a source of tremendous support for al-Qaida and terrorist elements."

Richardson urged President Musharraf to allow a caretaker government to rule until elections are held.

1 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。

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 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

4 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

5 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 speculative   

adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的

参考例句：

• Much of our information is speculative.我们的许多信息是带推测性的。
• The report is highly speculative and should be ignored.那个报道推测的成分很大，不应理会。

8 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

9 covert   

adj.隐藏的；暗地里的

参考例句：

• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
• The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.军队对这座建筑物进行了数月的秘密监视。

10 intensifying   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的现在分词 )；增辉

参考例句：

• The allies are intensifying their air campaign. 联军部队正加大他们的空战强度。 来自辞典例句
• The rest of the European powers were in a state of intensifying congestion. 其余的欧洲强国则处于越来越拥挤的状态。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史

11 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

12 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

13 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

14 postponement   

n.推迟

参考例句：

• He compounded with his creditors for a postponement of payment. 他与债权人达成协议延期付款。
• Rain caused the postponement of several race-meetings. 几次赛马大会因雨延期。

15 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

16 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

17 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。