VOA常速英语2008年-US Military Chief: Terrorists Threat to US, Pak

By Meredith Buel
Islamabad
09 February 2008

U.S. Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint¹ Chiefs of Staff, says militants² linked to the Taliban and al-Qaida have found safe haven³ in Pakistan and represent a threat to both the United States and Pakistan.  Admiral Mullen made the remarks after meeting with top government and military officials in Pakistan.  VOA correspondent Meredith Buel has details from Islamabad.

Admiral Mullen held talks with Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf and Army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.  The talks focused on the growing concern that Taliban and al-Qaida terrorists are using the country's remote tribal⁴ areas to train for attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan and overseas.

"They have found safe havens⁵ here and it is in those safe havens that we are now very focused on," he said.  "The challenge that we all have in addressing that threat is represented, I think very clearly, in the kind of upsurge in violence, the change in tactics.  This is a very deadly, lethal⁶ enemy that will not cease and that is why we have to work it very hard together.

Admiral Mullen also pointed⁷ to the rapidly increasing number of suicide bombings in Pakistan's cities that are alarming the population here.

He indicated such terrorist activity represents a long-term threat for both Pakistan and the United States.

"Look at the number of attacks, look at suicide bombers⁸, certainly the threat is going up and we are both concerned about that," he added.  "Certainly in my meetings today all the leadership expressed concern about being able to eliminate that threat over time.  This is a threat that is not going away.  It is a mutual⁹ threat and one that we together are very intent on working our way through, both in the near term and the long term."

Admiral Mullen did not repeat recent offers by U.S. Secretary of Defense¹⁰ Robert Gates to send American troops into Pakistan to combat the terrorists, an offer that the government in Islamabad has rejected.

The head of the Joint Chiefs said the United States will always respect Pakistan's sovereignty, and will continue to provide training in counter-terrorism tactics to the nation's military.

"Some of the discussions that we had certainly centered on the training assistance that we are able to provide and without going into great detail with respect to that, it really is in that area that we are assisting," he explained.  "I am committed to continuing to do that, and it is really important to emphasize only as requested by the leadership of the Pakistani military."

Regarding Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, Admiral Mullen said he is comfortable that the bombs are secure and is not concerned that they could fall into the hands of terrorists.

Since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on New York and Washington, the United States has provided $10 billion in aid to Pakistan.

About half that money has gone to reimburse¹¹ Pakistan's military for operations related to the war on terror.

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

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 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。

4 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。

5 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

6 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

8 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》

9 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

10 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。

11 reimburse   

v.补偿，付还

参考例句：

• We'll reimburse you for your travelling expenses.我们将付还你旅费。
• The funds are supposed to reimburse policyholders in the event of insurer failure.这项基金将在保险公司不能偿付的情况下对投保人进行赔付。