VOA标准英语2009年-UN Report Calls for Investigation Into All

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
29 September 2009

A U.N. fact-finding mission accuses both Israel and Hamas militants¹ of committing war crimes during the three-week war in Gaza that began in late 2008. The report, which has just been submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council, calls for both parties to conduct a credible² investigation³ into alleged⁴ violations⁵ within the next six months or risk having the situation turned over to the International Criminal Court. 

 
Judge Richard Goldstone, from South Africa, Head of the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (July 2009 file)
 
Head of the fact finding mission, South African Justice Richard Goldstone, criticized Israel for not cooperating with the mission and strongly rejected accusations⁶ that the investigation was politically motivated. 

He described a number of incidents in which Israeli forces launched direct attacks against civilians⁷ with lethal⁸ consequences.  With one exception, he said there was no military objective or advantage that could justify⁹ the attacks.

"The mission found that the attack on the only remaining flour-producing factory, the destruction of a large part of the Gaza egg production, the bulldozing of huge tracts¹⁰ of agricultural land, and the bombing of some 200 industrial facilities, could not on any basis be justified¹¹ on military grounds. Those attacks had nothing whatever to do with the firing of rockets and mortars¹² at Israel," Goldstone said. "These attack amounted to reprisals¹³ and collective punishment and constitute war crimes." 

The mission found the repeated firing of rockets and mortars into southern Israel by Palestinian armed groups from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip constituted war crimes that may amount to crimes against humanity.

Goldstone said the mission is recommending the Security Council require Israel and the Palestinian authorities to undertake investigations¹⁴ into the crimes committed during the war and to report back in six-months.

"In both cases, if within the six month period there are no good faith investigations conforming to international standards, the Security Council should refer the situation or situations to the International Criminal Court prosecutor," Goldstone said. 

Goldstone said the lack of accountability for war crimes and possible crimes against humanity has reached a crisis point. He said the ongoing¹⁵ lack of justice is undermining any hope for a successful peace process and reinforcing an environment that fosters violence.

The report did not sit well with Israeli Ambassador Aharon Leshno Yaar. He called the 575-page report shameful¹⁶.

"The authors of this "fact-finding report" had little concern with finding facts … Regrettably, this one-sided report, claiming to represent international law but in fact perverting¹⁷ it to serve a political agenda, can only weaken the standing¹⁸ of international law in future conflicts," Yaar said.

Israel found welcome support for its position from the United States. In his first appearance before the UN Human Rights Council representing the United States, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner called the report deeply flawed.

"The report also fails to deal adequately with the asymmetrical¹⁹ nature of the conflict or to assign appropriate responsibility to Hamas for its decision to base itself and its military operations in heavily populated areas," Posner said. "We are also seriously concerned with the recommendations that these allegations be taken up by the Security Council and then possibly referred to the International Criminal Court." 

Instead, Posner urged the Council to pass a resolution encouraging Israel to investigate allegations through credible domestic processes and to call on the Palestinians to launch similar investigations to address allegations of Hamas abuses.

1 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。

2 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

3 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。

4 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

5 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

6 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

7 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。

8 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

9 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

10 tracts   

大片土地( tract的名词复数 )； 地带； （体内的）道； （尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的）短文

参考例句：

• vast tracts of forest 大片大片的森林
• There are tracts of desert in Australia. 澳大利亚有大片沙漠。

11 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

12 mortars   

n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵

参考例句：

• They could not move their heavy mortars over the swampy ground. 他们无法把重型迫击炮移过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Where the hell are his mortars? 他有迫击炮吗？ 来自教父部分

13 reprisals   

n.报复（行为）( reprisal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They did not want to give evidence for fear of reprisals. 他们因为害怕报复而不想作证。
• They took bloody reprisals against the leaders. 他们对领导进行了血腥的报复。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 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。

15 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

16 shameful   

adj.可耻的，不道德的

参考例句：

• It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。
• We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

17 perverting   

v.滥用( pervert的现在分词 )；腐蚀；败坏；使堕落

参考例句：

• We must never tolerate any taking bribes and perverting justice. 我们决不能姑息贪赃枉法的行为！ 来自互联网
• District Councillor was jailed for three months for vote-planting and perverting the course of justice. 区议员因选举种票及妨碍司法公正被判监三个月。 来自互联网

18 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

19 asymmetrical   

adj.不均匀的，不对称的

参考例句：

• Most people's faces are asymmetrical.多数人的脸并不对称。
• Folds may be gentle and symmetrical,or sharp and asymmetrical.褶皱可以是平缓而对称的，也可以是陡峭而非对称的。