VOA标准英语2008年-US Top Envoy Pushes Coordinated Anti-Terror Eff

A top U.S diplomat¹ has urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to increase anti-terror coordination² saying they must extend their governments' authority to their border regions in order to check rising militant³ activities. Speaking at the end of his three-day trip to Pakistan, Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher also supported Afghan and NATO concerns that al-Qaida and Taliban militants⁴ are freely using sanctuaries⁵ on the Pakistani side of the border. Ayaz Gul reports from Islamabad.
　
Richard Boucher, right, shakes hands with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi during their meeting in Islamabad, 02 Jul 2008

U.S-led coalition⁶ forces fighting Taliban and al-Qaida militants in Afghanistan have suffered their highest monthly death toll⁷ in the month of June since launching military operations in the country in 2001.

Coalition commanders and Afghan officials blame militant sanctuaries on the Pakistani side of the border for the rise in insurgent⁸ attacks.

Speaking to reporters after talks with Pakistani leaders, Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said that al-Qaida and Taliban threat is growing in tribal⁹ regions of Pakistan. He reiterated¹⁰ that Afghan and coalition forces must tackle militants on their side of the border while Pakistani troops need to act on their side.

"We know that suicide bombers¹¹ get trained there and they are coming in both directions," he said. "They come to kill innocent Afghans and they come to kill innocent Pakistanis. We can do a lot on the Afghan side in terms of stabilization¹² and stopping people from trying to come across the border but in the end the Pakistanis have to take actions on the Pakistani side to get at these militants who are harming all of us."

Boucher says that Washington supports the Pakistani government's policy of securing the border areas by negotiating deals with tribal leaders to encourage them to expel foreign militants from their areas. But he says the United States is opposed to striking deals with militant leaders.

"We don't support making concessions¹³ to violent leaders like Baituallah Mehsud. We don't support releasing terrorists in the wild so that they can strike again. But we do support working with the tribes so that the tribes become responsible for their own security," said Boucher.

Mehsud is a self-proclaimed commander of the Pakistani Taliban militants and is believed to be closely linked to the al-Qaida network. He is blamed for a series of suicide attacks across Pakistan and for sending fighters across the border to help Taliban insurgents¹⁴ in Afghanistan.

Relations between the two important U.S allies in the anti-terror war have strained in recent days over allegations that Pakistan is not moving against Mehsud and is not doing enough to check Taliban insurgents from crossing into Afghanistan.
　
President Pervez Musharraf speaks to reporters in Islamabad, 7 June 2008

Richard Boucher says in his meetings with government officials and politicians he also discussed political issues and challenges facing Pakistan. The senior U.S diplomat rejected criticism the United States is not happy with the emergence¹⁵ of the new Pakistani government after a general election in February and is still support President Pervez Musharraf even though he has become increasingly isolated¹⁶.

The new ruling coalition is packed with anti-Musharraf parties calling for the president to step down or face possible impeachment¹⁷ in the parliament. However, there is a disagreement between major coalition partners on how to do it and also on how to resolve the issue of dozens of judges President Musharraf sacked in November when he imposed a six-week-long emergency rule in the country.

But Boucher says this is not the main issue confronting Pakistanis.

"Frankly¹⁸, President Musharraf is not the issue right now. This is not the problem that Pakistan faces right now," he said. "The problem Pakistani people face is the danger of bombings, suicide bombers, rising food prices. There are energy difficulties. Their electricity is being cut off through load shedding."

Critics of the new government in Pakistan say the political issues have prevented the rulers from focusing on issues such as widening trade and fiscal deficit, chronic power and energy shortages as will as rising militancy in the tribal areas

1 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

2 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

3 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

4 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。

5 sanctuaries   

n.避难所( sanctuary的名词复数 )；庇护；圣所；庇护所

参考例句：

• The designation of special marine reserves and marine sanctuaries shall be subject to the State Council for approval. 海洋特别保护区、海上自然保护区的确定，须经国务院批准。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After 1965 he acquiesced when they established sanctuaries on that soil. 1965年以后，他默认了他们在那块土地上建立庇护所。 来自辞典例句

6 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

7 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

8 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

9 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。

10 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

11 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》

12 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

13 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

14 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

15 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

16 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

17 impeachment   

n.弹劾；控告；怀疑

参考例句：

• Impeachment is considered a drastic measure in the United States.在美国，弹劾被视为一种非常激烈的措施。
• The verdict resulting from his impeachment destroyed his political career.他遭弹劾后得到的判决毁了他的政治生涯。

18 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。