VOA标准英语2010年-Video Message: Suicide Bomber Wanted t

The video shows Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi sitting next to the current commander of the Pakistani Taliban Hakimullah Mehsud. In the tape, Balawi says he intends to avenge¹ the killing² of former Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.

Ayaz Gul | Islamabad 09 January 2010

A Jordanian girl watches the Al Jazeera TV station in Jerash, Jordan, Saturday Jan. 9 2010, as it broadcasts a video purportedly³ showing Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi, who read a statement to camera vowing⁴ revenge for the death of Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsoud.

A Pakistani private television station and international networks have apparently⁵ aired Saturday the final video message of the man believed to be the suicide bomber⁶ who killed seven U.S intelligence agents in eastern Afghanistan more than a week ago. The authenticity⁷ of the video could not be confirmed.

The man in the newly released video is identified as Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, who blew himself up inside a key U.S base in an eastern Afghan region bordering Pakistan.
  
The video shows the Jordanian national sitting next to the current commander of the Pakistani Taliban Hakimullah Mehsud.  In the tape, Balawi says he intends to avenge the killing of former Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud. He also claims he turned down large sums of money to defend his faith.

"The Jordanian and American intelligence services offered me millions of dollars to work with them and spy on mujahadeen here," he said. "But,  Al-Hamdu Lil-lah [thank God], I came to the mujahadeen and I told them everything and we arranged together this attack to make the Americans understand that the belief of Allah, that eman [faith] which we hold, the Taqwah (pious) that we strive for cannot be exchanged for all the wealth in the world."

Intelligence officials say Balawi was a double agent, posing as a Jordanian informant but working for the al-Qaida terror network.

On December 30, he was invited for a meeting inside a U.S facility in the Afghan border province of Khost. Instead, Balawi blew himself up at the meeting, killing seven agents of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and a Jordanian intelligence officer. The CIA base chief was among those killed in the attack.

Both the al-Qaida and Taliban fighters have claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, saying it was meant to avenge the deaths of their top commanders, including Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the outlawed⁸ Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan or TTP.

Mehsud was killed in August last year when a missile fired by a suspected U.S drone targeted his hideout in Pakistan's volatile⁹ South Waziristan tribal¹⁰ region. His successor, Hakimullah Mehsud, appearing in Balawai's final video message is wanted by the Pakistani security forces.
 
A major military offensive in South Waziristan is underway and has killed hundreds of Taliban fighters but has not been able to capture or kill Hakimullah Mehsud or any of his key deputies.
 
Former Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan, Ayaz Wazir, belongs to the Waziristan region. While questioning the authenticity of the video message he says the suicide attack inside the U.S base in Afghanistan, and the fact that the Pakistani Taliban commander Mehsud is still at large, raises questions about the counter-terrorism intelligence operations.

"If you recall a claim was made by [an] al-Qaida representative that they have done it and TTP also has made a claim that we have done it," he said. "Now this video shows this fellow [Balawi] with Hakimullah Mehsud. But anyway the significance obviously is there for both Pakistan and for America. It speaks I would say for failure on the part of intelligence agencies."

Experts in Pakistan believe the involvement of the local Taliban in the attack on a CIA base in Afghanistan could mean more pressure on Islamabad to intensify¹¹ its crackdown on militants¹² to secure the border areas.

The CIA facility was located opposite to the Waziristan tribal region and was reportedly playing a key role in gathering¹³ intelligence information to guide U.S. unmanned spy planes to launch drone strikes on al-Qaida and Afghan militants hiding on the Pakistani side of the border.

1 avenge   

v.为...复仇，为...报仇

参考例句：

• He swore to avenge himself on the mafia.他发誓说要向黑手党报仇。
• He will avenge the people on their oppressor.他将为人民向压迫者报仇。

2 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

3 purportedly   

adv.据称

参考例句：

• This is purportedly the oldest tree in the world. 据称这是世界上最古老的一棵树。 来自互联网
• Mayor Oh Se-Hoon launched the campaign last year, purportedly to improve efficiency. 据悉，首尔市市长吴世勋于去年提出了这项旨在提高工作效率的计划。 来自互联网

4 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。

5 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

6 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

7 authenticity   

n.真实性

参考例句：

• There has been some debate over the authenticity of his will. 对于他的遗嘱的真实性一直有争论。
• The museum is seeking an expert opinion on the authenticity of the painting. 博物馆在请专家鉴定那幅画的真伪。

8 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

9 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

10 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。

11 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

12 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。

13 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。