VOA标准英语2011--USS Cole Bombing Suspect Faces Arraignment at Guantanamo

USS Cole Bombing Suspect Faces Arraignment¹ at Guantanamo

A Saudi Arabian man accused of being the mastermind behind the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 is scheduled to be arraigned² Wednesday, Nov. 9 before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay. Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri could face the death penalty if convicted.

The suicide attack on the U.S. naval³ vessel⁴ in Yemen’s Port of Aden left a gaping⁵ hole in the side of the ship, killing⁶ 17 sailors and wounding dozens of others.

"Bringing to justice the perpetrators of the October 12, 2000 attack is a vital part of our counterterrorism mission and we will dedicate whatever resources are needed to get the job done," said FBI director Robert Muller.

Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri was captured in 2002, held in secret CIA prisons overseas, and transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006. He is one of 15 high-value detainees held at Guantanamo and is the first to face a military tribunal since U.S. President Barack Obama lifted a freeze on such trials earlier this year.

“I would just tell you we are training, we are ready," said Colonel Donnie Thomas, who is in charge of security at the Guantanamo Bay detention⁷ facility. "We have held commissions before and this will be another commission with a little bit more spotlight⁸ to it and so we are prepared for that.”

Nashiri is charged with murder, terrorism and conspiracy⁹ and could face the death penalty. Nashiri’s attorneys argue he should not be tried because he was subject to the near-drowning technique called waterboarding and mock executions.

Attorney Eugene Fidell is a lecturer on military law at Yale University, and has long criticized the Guantanamo process.

“It is a bad thing to be conducting these trials at Guantanamo," he said. "They should be conducted - if we have people who have committed federal crimes they should be tried in a proper federal court.”

But Congress has blocked attempts to bring Guantanamo detainees for trial in the U.S. and efforts to close the detention center have failed so far.

After Nashiri’s arraignment a military judge is expected to set the schedule for the trial.

Military law expert Cully Stimson of the Heritage Foundation says the process could take a long time.

“I think a year or two or more delay for defense¹⁰ to get ready for trial is not unreasonable¹¹ and I would not be surprised if a military judge grants them all the time they need,” he said.

The case will be heard at Guantanamo’s Camp Justice in a courtroom so secure no photographs are allowed even outside the building.

1 arraignment   

n.提问，传讯，责难

参考例句：

• She was remanded to juvenile detention at her arraignment yesterday. 她昨天被送回了对少年拘留在她的传讯。 来自互联网
• Wyatt asks the desk clerk which courthouse he is being transferred to for arraignment. 他向接待警员询问了马宏将在哪个法庭接受传讯。 来自互联网

2 arraigned   

v.告发( arraign的过去式和过去分词 )；控告；传讯；指责

参考例句：

• He was arraigned for murder. 他因谋杀罪而被提讯。
• She was arraigned for high treason. 她被控叛国罪。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

4 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

5 gaping   

adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大

参考例句：

• Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他们前面是一个巨大的深渊。
• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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。

7 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

8 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

9 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

10 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。

11 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。