voa标准英语2008-US Commission Warns of Possible WMD Attack

A congressionally-mandated U.S. commission has released a report warning of a possible nuclear or biological attack somewhere in the world within five years. The report singles out Pakistan as the top security priority for the United States. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.
　

Commission Chairman former Sen. Bob Graham speaks during a press conference on a new report on 'Preventing Nuclear and Biological Terrorism Threats' in Washington, 03 Dec 2008

The chairman of the bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, former U.S. Senator Bob Graham, presented the panel's sobering conclusions at a Capitol Hill news conference on Wednesday.

"It is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used somewhere in the world prior to the end of 2013," he said. "We also found that it was more likely that that weapon would be biological than nuclear."

In its report, called "World at Risk," the commission cites Pakistan as the top security priority for the incoming Obama administration.

Although the report notes that Pakistan is a U.S. ally, it says the next terrorist attack against the United States could originate from within the country's Federally Administered Tribal¹ Areas. The United States says the tribal areas in northwest Pakistan, where the Islamabad government exerts little control, are a haven² for militants³ from both Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan.

Members of the commission were served a reminder⁴ of the urgency of their mission when a bomb blast destroyed the Islamabad Marriott Hotel as they were en route to the Pakistani capital in September.

Former U.S. Representative Tim Roemer also served on the commission.

"We were hours away from the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad when the terrorists hit it," said Tim Roemer. "That was a near miss for this commission and for its members, but certainly a signal that Pakistan, when you're looking at the confluence⁵ of terrorism and proliferation, all roads lead to Pakistan."

The commission calls on the United States to work with Pakistan and other countries in the region to eliminate terrorist safe havens⁶ through military, economic and diplomatic means, secure nuclear and biological materials in Pakistan, counter and defeat extremist ideology⁷, and constrain⁸ a nascent⁹ nuclear arms race in Asia.

The commission also urges the incoming Obama administration to take steps to prevent Iran and North Korea from possessing uranium enrichment or plutonium reprocessing capabilities¹⁰.

Commission Chairman, Bob Graham:

"We are recommending the new administration give these two issues the priority they deserve, that they negotiate," he said. "And we suggest that that might be through direct engagement negotiation¹¹ in both countries with appropriate incentives¹² and disincentives, but with the understanding that we are not taking from our range of options the use of direct force if other means are unsuccessful."

At the White House, spokeswoman Dana Perino said the outgoing Bush administration has fought the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

"We recognize that there is more to do," said Dana Perino. "But what we have done has provided a really good foundation for the next team to be able to take that on and to try to continue to keep us safe."

The commission's other recommendations include calling an international conference of countries with major biotechnology industries to promote biosecurity, strengthen global disease surveillance networks and press for universal adherence¹³ to the Biological Weapons Convention.

Former U.S. Senator Jim Talent, Vice¹⁴ Chairman of the commission, said there are two ways terrorists could get hold of biological weapons.

"The terrorists could acquire the biological capabilities or they could convince biological scientists to become terrorists and get the capability¹⁵ right away," he said.

The commission calls on the U.S. government to set strong penalties for violators who withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and strengthen the International Atomic Energy Agency. It also calls for employing further counter-proliferation efforts and working with Russia to secure its nuclear materials.

The commission report is the result of a six-month study and testimony¹⁶ from more than 250 experts from around the world.

1 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。

2 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

3 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。

4 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

5 confluence   

n.汇合，聚集

参考例句：

• They built the city at the confluence of two rivers.他们建造了城市的汇合两条河流。
• The whole DV movements actually was a confluence of several trends.整个当时的DV运动，实际上是几股潮流的同谋。

6 havens   

n.港口，安全地方( haven的名词复数 )v.港口，安全地方( haven的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Your twenty havens would back out at the last minute anyhow. 你那二十个避难所到了最后一分钟也要不认帐。 来自辞典例句
• Using offshore havens to avoid taxes and investor protections. 使用海面的港口避免税和投资者保护。 来自互联网

7 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

8 constrain   

vt.限制，约束；克制，抑制

参考例句：

• She tried to constrain herself from a cough in class.上课时她竭力忍住不咳嗽。
• The study will examine the factors which constrain local economic growth.这项研究将考查抑制当地经济发展的因素。

9 nascent   

adj.初生的，发生中的

参考例句：

• That slim book showed the Chinese intelligentsia and the nascent working class.那本小册子讲述了中国的知识界和新兴的工人阶级。
• Despite a nascent democracy movement,there's little traction for direct suffrage.尽管有过一次新生的民主运动，但几乎不会带来直接选举。

10 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

11 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

12 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

13 adherence   

n.信奉，依附，坚持，固着

参考例句：

• He was well known for his adherence to the rules.他因遵循这些规定而出名。
• The teacher demanded adherence to the rules.老师要求学生们遵守纪律。

14 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

15 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

16 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。