VOA标准英语2010年-Terrorists: Criminals or Enemy Combata

How will alleged¹ perpetrators of terrorism be prosecuted², in federal court or by military tribunals?

The prospect³ of trying the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks in US federal court, and the criminal charges filed in Detroit against Christmas Day bomber⁴ Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab have triggered a debate in the United States.  It focuses on the core question: Is terrorism a criminal act or an act of war?

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the September 11 attacks, is to be tried in civil court, if President Obama gets his way.  And there will likely be a civil trial for the Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab,  accused of trying to bring down a US airliner⁵ on Christmas Day. These events have sparked a debate on whether terrorist acts against the U.S. should be treated as acts of war or criminal acts.

The choice is linked to how alleged perpetrators are prosecuted, in federal court or by military tribunals. Although President Obama wants to try some in US civil court, he says al-Qaida is waging war against the West.   He spoke⁶ about this at a townhall meeting on YouTube (February 1).

"We are at war against a very specific group - al-Qaida and its extremist allies that have metastasized around the globe, that would attack us, attack our allies, attack bases, and embassies around the world, and most sadly attack innocent people regardless of their backgrounds and regardless of their religions," Mr. Obama said.

On Capitol Hill, opposition⁷ to trying alleged terrorists in federal court - where defendants⁸ have extensive rights - is growing.

 

 

"Yes, it is a war, a war of terror these radicals¹⁰ have declared on America and the West," Republican Senator Christopher Bond said. 

Michael Swetnam at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies says treating terrorist acts as crimes should not stop the government from using war powers. For example, he says there's a case to be made for eventually moving AbdulMutallab to military court.  "Are these things criminal acts, of course they are criminal acts. Are they acts of war? Almost certainly also acts of war," he explained. "We should not let the consideration that it is a criminal act prevent us from using our war powers when necessary and vice¹¹ versa."

Charles Allen, undersecretary for Homeland Security, says the distinctions are fluid.  "It takes a full range of instruments, diplomacy¹², law enforcement, intelligence and the military. I think we have to go full force in those directions," Allen stated.

But the top EU diplomat¹³ in the US, Angelos Pangratis, says terrorism does not fit the legal definition of war. "Counterterrorism, of course, is the first priority in terms of building the security of the future of our citizens. But this fight has to take place by the (international) law and within the law," Pangratis said.

Swetnam says international laws - like provisions that do not support trying terrorists as enemy combatants - are old and should be amended¹⁴. "We are at war with al-Qaida and other radical⁹ groups and the international law, in its slow plodding¹⁵ way, may catch up in another decade or a century or two, but that will not stop people from dying and us from fighting them," he said.

President Obama says the battle against al-Qaida is also a war of ideas. He says the US must do more to work with Muslims who overwhelmingly reject violence.

 

1 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

2 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

3 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

4 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。

5 airliner   

n.客机，班机

参考例句：

• The pilot landed the airliner safely.驾驶员使客机安全着陆。
• The passengers were shepherded across the tarmac to the airliner.旅客们被引导走过跑道去上飞机。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

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 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

9 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

10 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

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。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

12 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

13 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。

14 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

15 plodding   

a.proceeding in a slow or dull way

参考例句：

• They're still plodding along with their investigation. 他们仍然在不厌其烦地进行调查。
• He is plodding on with negotiations. 他正缓慢艰难地进行着谈判。