VOA标准英语2009年-India Says At Least 12 Possible Terror

India's home minister has revealed that at least a dozen potential terror strikes on the country were thwarted² this year. But he says, as part of a sweeping³ restructuring of India's intelligence apparatus⁴, his own ministry⁵ needs to be split.

Steve Herman | New Delhi 23 December 2009

 
Photo: AP
Indian Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram (file photo)

Speaking in the capital, Indian Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said "12 or 13 potential terrorist attacks" have been foiled in 2009.  And, that any one of them could have led to a repeat of last November's siege of Mumbai, blamed on Pakistani militants⁶, in which more than 160 people died.

"It could have become one," Chidambaram said. "But we were able to neutralize⁷ it and thwart¹ it.  But, as I've said, we have to be lucky every time. And, so, let's put it to both luck and better intelligence and better intelligence sharing and better coordination⁸."

But the home minister says India still has a long way to go to improve such coordination, noting that different agencies still cannot share critical information in their respective data bases. He also is stressing that a single agency needs to be the coordinator⁹ and that such an entity¹⁰, the National Counter-Terrorism Center, should be in place by the end of 2010.  He is calling for the center to have sweeping powers to respond to terror attacks.

During a lecture on intelligence matters Wednesday, Chidambaram said the United States established such a center within 36 months of the 2001 terrorist attacks.  The home minister says "India cannot afford to wait" that long.

Chidambaram says his own ministry needs to be "bifurcated¹¹" so that whoever holds the top position is not distracted by less critical duties.

"The home minister should devote the whole of his or her time and energy to matters relating to security,"  Chidambaram said.

At present, the Ministry of Home Affairs has a sweeping mandate¹², in addition to internal security.  This include relations between the states and the central government, overseeing the police and legislative¹³ aspects of laws, handling human rights, issuing visas to foreigners, supervising the country's international borders and disaster management.
 

1 thwart   

v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的)

参考例句：

• We must thwart his malevolent schemes.我们决不能让他的恶毒阴谋得逞。
• I don't think that will thwart our purposes.我认为那不会使我们的目的受到挫折。

2 thwarted   

阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过

参考例句：

• The guards thwarted his attempt to escape from prison. 警卫阻扰了他越狱的企图。
• Our plans for a picnic were thwarted by the rain. 我们的野餐计划因雨受挫。

3 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

4 apparatus   

n.装置，器械；器具，设备

参考例句：

• The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
• They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。

5 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。

6 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。

7 neutralize   

v.使失效、抵消，使中和

参考例句：

• Nothing could neutralize its good effects.没有什么能抵消它所产生的好影响。
• Acids neutralize alkalis and vice versa.酸能使碱中和碱，亦能使酸中和。

8 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。

9 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

10 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

11 bifurcated   

a.分为两部分

参考例句：

• Over the past 15 years the marketplace for art books has bifurcated. 过去15年里，卖艺术类书籍的市场逐渐分化。
• This bifurcated view was reflected in how U.S. officials described the trip. 这种一分为二的观点也反映在美国官员自己对访华之行的描述上。

12 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

13 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。