VOA标准英语2013--Violence on Rise in Iraq's Oil-Rich Kirkuk Area

 

Violence on Rise in Iraq's Oil-Rich Kirkuk Area

Four months ago, Tuz Khormatu, a sleepy town 80 kilometers southeast of Kirkuk, became the new frontline between Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region and the central government.

Political tensions over oil rights have flared¹ in this disputed area, which is as rich in fossil fuels as it is in diversity. Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, and Christians³ claim Kirkuk as their own.

Surging violence

Colonel Ismael Rasoul Mustafa - who is in charge of this outpost - has been a Kurdish guerrilla since 1986 when he fought for Kurdish independence from Iraq's Ba'ath regime.

"We're not here to stand against the central government, but we're here to defend ourselves. If they attack us like they did before under the previous regime, we have to defend ourselves," said Mustafa.

The city of Kirkuk, an ethnic⁴ melting pot, has seen a significant uptick in violence in the past two months. Bombs have targeted Shi'ite worshippers, Kurdish security forces, and Sunni politicians.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has warned of the danger of ethnic conflict in Iraq, but Sinan Ismael Khalil, a veteran Arab journalist, said that ethnic tensions exist only at a political level and the real reason for the violence is oil.

"It makes us laugh when we hear it's an ethnic conflict, that the disagreements are based on ethnic problems," said Khalil. "What's the reason for all of this? Oil."

Oil at root of disputes

His sentiments are echoed by many of Kirkuk's residents. Ismat Lawerdy, a Christian² pharmacist, said that politicians are responsible for Kirkuk's problems.

"Between the people there are no problems. Kurds, Arabs, Kurds, Assyrian. The problems is with the politicians. Yes, politicians in Baghdad. Here in Kirkuk there's no difference between Arabs or Kurds or anybody," said Lawerdy.

Hussein Mohammad Hassan, from the Sunni area of Hawijah, agrees that sectarian violence is solely⁵ a political tool.

"Because of the politicians we are suffering. Only brotherhood⁶ and harmony can save us," said Hassan.

As the violence continues, and with regional elections on the horizon, many residents of Kirkuk feel that their oil wealth is more a curse than a ticket to regional autonomy. 

1 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

4 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

5 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

6 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。