VOA标准英语2010年-Experts Say Pakistani Terror Group Pos

Jamat ud Dawa, formerly¹ Lashkar-e Taiba parading in a Pakistani city (file photo)

Pakistan-based Lashkar-e Taiba or LET was for a long time considered a militant² group  fighting Indian rule of Kashmir. But after Chicago-based American David Headley pled guilty last week to links to the group and the 2008 attacks on Mumbai, some US experts and lawmakers expressed concern that Lashkar could prove more dangerous to US interests than al-Qaida.

David Headley is the first American to be linked to the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Headley, a Muslim from Chicago, pled guilty to playing a part in the the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks as well as plotting to attack a Danish newspaper over controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

Defense³ Attorney Robert Seeder:

"Mr. Headley pled guilty today to a number of serious criminal offences," said Robert Seeder. "His conduct contributed to the harm of many people, his plea of guilty to all 12 counts."

Recently, concern about homegrown terrorism has been on the rise in the United States.

But some members of Congress as well as terrorism experts say the US is too focused on al-Qaida, to the exclusion⁴ of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

"In the wake of the Mumbai attack, the investigators⁵ uncovered in records and email accounts a list of 320 locations worldwide deemed by LET as possible targets for attack, only 20 of them were in India. The LET has been attacking the US forces in Afghanistan almost from day one," said Gary Ackerman, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committe.

LET's capabilities⁶ exceed those of al-Qaida, says Marvin Weinbaum at the Middle East Institute.

"It exceeds al-Qaida in its capacity for recruitment and fundraising across the Islamic world," said Marvin Weinbaum. "Unlike al-Qaida, LET has strong societal roots and enjoys the protection of the institutions of a State [Pakistani Intelligence]"

LET was banned by Pakistan in 2002. But experts say it is still active and has folded itself into a Pakistani charitable group known and Jamat ud Dawa.

Lisa Curtis at the Heritage Foundation says Pakistan must dismantle⁷ LET.

"The US needs to closely monitor Pakistani actions to dismantle the LET," said Lisa Curtis. "Merely banning the organization has done little to degrade its capabilities."

India blamed the 2008 Mumbai attacks on LET, saying it has evidence that Pakistani Intelligence was also involved.

Pakistan has put some LET members  on trial, but denies that intelligence was involved. 

LET's founder⁸ Hafiz Saeed was also arrested but later released by a Pakistani court for lack of evidence.

In New Delhi last week (3/19), US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake held talks with Indian officials to allay⁹ fears that the US is ignoring dangers posed by LET.

"The Headley case in our view illustrates¹⁰ the increasing global scope and ambition of LET and therefore the need for all of our countries to take the LET threat seriously," said Robert Blake.

Ashley Tellis of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hopes President Obama will convince Pakistan to be tougher on Lashkar.

"It is to President Obama's credit that he has made it an important objective that Pakistan target LET if a new US/Pakistan strategic relationship is to be sustained," said Ashley Tellis.

The most immediate¹¹ danger, experts say, is that another Lashkar attack on India could trigger a war between India and Pakistan.

And that they say would seriously disrupt US efforts to get Pakistan to contain Islamic militants¹² on its border with Afghanistan.
 

1 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。

2 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

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。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 exclusion   

n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行

参考例句：

• Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
• He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球，其他运动一概不参加。

5 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

7 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

8 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

9 allay   

v.消除，减轻(恐惧、怀疑等)

参考例句：

• The police tried to allay her fears but failed.警察力图减轻她的恐惧，但是没有收到什么效果。
• They are trying to allay public fears about the spread of the disease.他们正竭力减轻公众对这种疾病传播的恐惧。

10 illustrates   

给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明

参考例句：

• This historical novel illustrates the breaking up of feudal society in microcosm. 这部历史小说是走向崩溃的封建社会的缩影。
• Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had an experience which illustrates this. 阿尔弗莱德 - 阿德勒是一位著名的医生，他有过可以说明这点的经历。 来自中级百科部分

11 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

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。