VOA标准英语2008年-British Intelligence Officer Suspended Over Sec

By Tendai Maphosa
London
12 June 2008

A senior intelligence official has been suspended following discovery that confidential¹ documents related to Iraq and the activities of al-Qaida were left on a passenger train. The documents were were later handed over to the British Broadcasting Corporation. Tendai Maphosa has more in this report from London.

The identity of the Cabinet Office official has not been made public. On Wednesday, the BBC announced that it was in possession of the documents that were compiled by the government's Joint² Intelligence Committee.

BBC Security correspondent Frank Gardner said one of the documents, commissioned by the Ministry³ of Defense⁴ concerned Iraq's security forces. He added that it included a top-secret and in some places "damning" assessment⁵ of Iraqi forces.

Another document, commissioned by the Foreign Office and the Home Office is reportedly entitled 'Al-Qaida Vulnerabilities'. Gardner said the seven-page document, classified as "U.K. Top Secret", is marked "for U.K./U.S./Canadian and Australian eyes only".
　

Gordon Brown (file)

Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced an investigation⁶ is underway.

"This is a very serious incident and we take it seriously we will have to trace where these documents have gone if they have gone anywhere other than in an envelope to a local BBC station," he said.

The issue also came up in parliament, where Cabinet Office Minister Ed Miliband, was sharply questioned over the incident. He said the official who left the documents on the train clearly violated the rules by removing them from the government offices.

"Let us be absolutely clear about this. In this case there was no authorization⁷ for this document to be taken out of the building, the rules are absolutely clear; authorization should be sort and if the document is taken out of the building it should only be in the most exceptional circumstances and in those circumstances with the securest of brief cases and security attached to it," he said.

The loss of the documents is the latest in a list of embarrassing breaches⁹ by the government. Last year, details of three million candidates for the British driving test were lost and the Revenue and Customs Office lost two computer discs containing the personal details of 25 million people.

The latest security breach⁸ was revealed the same day the government scored a narrow parliamentary victory to tighten¹⁰ anti-terror laws. The controversial bill calls for increasing the number of days terror suspects can be held without charge from 28 to 42. The measure has been strongly criticized by opposition¹¹ parties and even some government party members as an unnecessary infringement¹² on personal freedoms.

1 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

8 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

9 breaches   

破坏( breach的名词复数 )； 破裂； 缺口； 违背

参考例句：

• He imposed heavy penalties for breaches of oath or pledges. 他对违反誓言和保证的行为给予严厉的惩罚。
• This renders all breaches of morality before marriage very uncommon. 这样一来，婚前败坏道德的事就少见了。

10 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 infringement   

n.违反；侵权

参考例句：

• Infringement of this regulation would automatically rule you out of the championship.违背这一规则会被自动取消参加锦标赛的资格。
• The committee ruled that the US ban constituted an infringement of free trade.委员会裁定美国的禁令对自由贸易构成了侵犯