VOA标准英语2011--Somalia PM Says Suicide Attack Shows al-

Somalia PM Says Suicide Attack Shows al-Shabab 'Weakness'

Somalia’s prime minister says Tuesday’s suicide bomb attack in Mogadishu shows the increasing desperation of al-Qaida linked forces who still control large parts of the famine-wracked country. The blast killed at least 70 people and injured scores more.
Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali vowed¹ that the bomb blast outside Somalia’s education ministry² would increase his transitional government’s resolve to crush the extremist group al-Shabab. "This is the time to intervene, as we cannot watch these cowards to regroup and carry out more vicious and cowardly acts. Most of those killed were students and families waiting to hear results of scholarship exams," he said.
Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the bombing. A spokesman warned Mogadishu residents to expect more attacks on government buildings.
African Union peacekeepers broke al-Shabab’s three-year stranglehold on Mogadishu in August after weeks of heavy fighting, driving the extremists into rural areas hard hit by famine. Speaking to reporters while on a visit to Addis Ababa, Prime Minister Ali said the hardline Islamist extremists are becoming desperate as people increasingly blame them for blocking distribution of food aid.
"It shows the weakness of al-Shabab. They lost the fight, they lost the battle, and resorting to violence and killing³ innocent people is the weakness of al-Shabab. Violence against innocent people will not inculcate fear in the people’s mind as they intend to, but this will rather lead to their demise⁴ and isolation," Ali stated. "Actually they have already lost hearts and minds of the Somali people."
The prime minister called the bombing a crime, on top of the crime of preventing food aid from reaching desperate Somalis in the famine zone, effectively condemning⁵ many people to death.
"Those severely⁶ affected⁷ by this famine are under the yoke⁸ of al-Shabab. They deny access of relief aid to Somalia, and adding again insult to injury this is what they did to the Somali people," Ali noted⁹. "That’s why a lot of them come to Mogadishu for food aid and succor¹⁰. "
Al-Shabab has a history of suicide attacks against government facilities and African Union peacekeepers. Three government ministers and several newly graduated doctors were among 24 people killed in an attack in Mogadishu in December, 2009.
The extremist group is trying to drive out Prime Minister Ali’s fragile western-backed administration and install a government based on Islamic Sharia law in the strategically located Horn of Africa country.
Western governments fear that an al-Shabab victory would clear the way for al-Qaida to use Somalia as a base for terrorist operations.

1 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 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。

4 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。

5 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 yoke   

n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶

参考例句：

• An ass and an ox,fastened to the same yoke,were drawing a wagon.驴子和公牛一起套在轭上拉车。
• The defeated army passed under the yoke.败军在轭门下通过。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 succor   

n.援助，帮助；v.给予帮助

参考例句：

• In two short hours we may look for succor from Webb.在短短的两小时内，韦布将军的救兵就可望到达。
• He was so much in need of succor,so totally alone.他当时孑然一身，形影相吊，特别需要援助。