VOA标准英语2008年-Pakistani Leaders Denounce Suspected US Strikes

A suspected U.S. missile strike has killed at least 14 people in a militant¹ stronghold in northwest Pakistan. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from Pakistan's capital where lawmakers and the military are responding to a surge in strikes against militant targets by vowing² to defend the country's territorial³ integrity.

The latest suspected U.S. missile strike occurred outside Miran Shah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal⁴ agency, which is considered to be a militant stronghold.

Similar strikes against suspected al-Qaida hideouts in Pakistan regularly draw some criticism from Pakistani officials, but last week's ground assault by U.S. forces in the South Waziristan tribal agency has drawn⁵ much stronger responses.

U.S. officials revealed this week that President Bush has authorized⁶ U.S. forces to conduct raids inside Pakistan without approval from Pakistani officials. In Islamabad, lawmakers and military officers have responded with alarm.

Opposition⁷ leader Nisar Ali Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-N Party said Friday that Pakistan is now under the threat of war.

"We are a democratic country so before making these statements I think our friends in the west should first ascertain⁸ whether Pakistan is an ally or an enemy," he said.

He called for a joint⁹ session of parliament to decide how to respond to the cross border attacks in the future.

Owais Ghani is the top administrator¹⁰ of Pakistan's tribal regions as the governor of the North West Frontier Province. He released a statement suggesting that both militants¹¹ battling the Pakistani troops and coalition¹² forces are now trying to weaken Pakistan.
　

Pakistanis in town of Multan protest US strikes in country's northwest, 12 Sept 2008

Pakistan's military has been fighting militants in Bajaur since early August. On Friday an army spokesman said soldiers killed at least 32 militants in the latest fighting.

U.S. and Afghan officials have blamed parts of Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies of helping¹³ Taliban militants stage attacks inside Afghanistan. There is widespread concern about how much control Pakistan's new civilian¹⁴ government has over the country's powerful security agencies.

Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Kayani has said no foreign forces are allowed to conduct operations inside Pakistan and the country's sovereignty will be defended "at all costs."

On Friday, General Kayani released a statement saying that all security agencies, under the country's democratic leadership, "will safeguard the territorial integrity" of Pakistan.

1 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。

2 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

3 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

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 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

6 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

7 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。

8 ascertain   

vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清

参考例句：

• It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。
• We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

9 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。

10 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

11 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。

12 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。

13 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

14 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。