VOA标准英语2009年-Al-Qaida Says It's Holding 6 Western Hostages i

Al-Qaida's North Africa branch says it is holding captive two Canadian diplomats² and four Western tourists kidnapped in Niger.
　
Robert Fowler (file photo)

The group calling itself "al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb" says it is holding Canadian diplomat¹ Robert Fowler and his aide Louis Guay who were kidnapped in Niger in December. The group is also claiming responsibility for last month's abduction of four Western tourists near the border with Mali.

In an audio recording³ aired by al-Jazeera television, a spokesman for the group said he was "glad to bring good tidings" about the success of what he called "two quality operations in Niger." Spokesman Salah Abu Mohammed said militants⁴ reserve the right to deal with their six captives under Islamic law and will soon issue conditions for their release.

Fowler is a former foreign policy advisor⁵ to several Canadian prime ministers and served as his country's ambassador to Italy and the United Nations. He is currently U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy⁶ to Niger.

Fowler, Guay, and their local driver, Soumana Mounkaila, disappeared December 14 when their vehicle was found abandoned with its doors open and motor running in the Karma area, about 40 kilometers outside the capital Niamey. The three were thought to be returning from a visit to a gold mine operated by a Canadian company.

Tuareg rebels in Niger immediately claimed responsibility for their capture, saying it was a message to all diplomats who collaborate⁷ with President Mamadou Tandja. But hours later, the same group backed-off that claim, saying civilians⁸ and diplomats are not part of its fight against the Tandja government.

President Tandja said last month that investigations⁹ by his security forces indicate the men are being held hostage by terrorist groups, referring to Tuareg rebels in northern Niger.

The four tourists - two Swiss nationals, one German, and one Briton - were abducted¹⁰ on their return from a nomadic¹¹ cultural festival January 22. Malian officials initially¹² blamed Tuareg rebels for that kidnapping as well.

Tuareg fighting for greater autonomy for their traditional Saharan homeland are battling both the governments of Mali and Niger in a long-running conflict. Mali's military launched an offensive last month that it says captured all the main rebel bases in the north-east.

Several hundred former fighters who surrendered to Malian troops this week are expected to join the national army.

Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb is a Sunni group that was formerly¹³ known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat. It began as an insurrection against Algeria's secular¹⁴ military rulers after the government canceled the second round of parliamentary elections in 1992 when it appeared a coalition¹⁵ of Islamist groups might take power.

It has since expanded and aligned¹⁶ itself with the broader al-Qaida terrorist network, claiming responsibility for suicide bombings in Algeria last year and the kidnapping of two Austrian tourists in Tunisia who were later freed in Mali. It is considered a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department and the European Union.

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 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

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 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

6 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

7 collaborate   

vi.协作，合作；协调

参考例句：

• The work gets done more quickly when we collaborate.我们一旦合作，工作做起来就更快了。
• I would ask you to collaborate with us in this work.我们愿意请你们在这项工作中和我们合作。

8 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

9 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

10 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

11 nomadic   

adj.流浪的；游牧的

参考例句：

• This tribe still live a nomadic life.这个民族仍然过着游牧生活。
• The plowing culture and the nomadic culture are two traditional principal cultures in China.农耕文化与游牧文化是我国传统的两大主体文化。

12 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

13 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

14 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

15 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。

16 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。