VOA标准英语2015--In IS Fight, Concern Over Iran, Sectarian Divide

In IS Fight, Concern Over Iran, Sectarian Divide

PENTAGON—

As the battle for Tikrit rages between Islamic State militants¹ and Iraqi security forces and Shi'ite militias², two major concerns have emerged: the role of Iran and the fear that sectarian divides will grow wider. 

Days of fighting around Tikrit have yielded slow progress against Islamic State militants, who have held the city since last June.

''Our troops are now advancing according to the drawn³ up plan, though there are so many bombs planted by Islamic State militants to hinder our progress,”  Iraqi Lieutenant⁴ General Abdul Amir al-Zaidi said.

The enemy is the same, but this fight against the militants is different.  Above, there is no U.S. support from the air, and on the ground, Iranians are helping⁵ Shi'ite militiamen.

Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said Thursday the situation in Tikrit is a prime example of what Gulf⁶ states have feared - Iran “taking over” Iraqi forces.

Another fear is sectarian violence. Sunni leaders say the Iraqi government is failing to support them.

“[The government] stands with hands folded towards the Sunni tribes, while it pays heed⁷ to and supports the Shi'ite militiamen who came from everywhere to purge⁸ the areas occupied by IS militants, while the Sunni tribes don't have weapons,” said Sheik Abdul Madhi al-Smaidaie, the Grand Mufti of Iraq.

 “We’ve been down the road of sectarianism in Iraq and it’s important that the government of Iraq not go down that road again,” said U.S. Defense⁹ Secretary Ashton Carter.

In Washington, caution from military leaders is growing.

“We’re watching carefully, and if this becomes an excuse to ethnic¹¹ cleanse¹² then our campaign has a problem and we’re going to have to make a campaign adjustment,” said Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the joint¹³ chiefs of staff.

Those leading the fight have sent mixed messages. U.S.-backed Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has called for the protection of civilians¹⁴, but he’s also declared, "There is no neutrality in the battle against ISIS.”

Human rights defenders¹⁵ like Joe Stork¹⁶ say a statement like that could be used to justify¹⁷ violence.

“Even very recently we’ve seen these militias carrying out terrible acts in the aftermath of these kinds of operations,” said Stork.

Terrible acts include the demolition¹⁸ of homes and even executions. A graphic¹⁹ mobile phone video emerged on social media this week, but VOA has not been able to verify its authenticity²⁰ or date. It shows a Sunni boy captured by men wearing uniforms with the Iraqi insignia.

Seconds later, the boy is shot to death.

“There has to be consequences when people carry out these kinds of crimes, and we haven’t seen any of that yet,” said Stork.

As the battle continues for northern Iraq, officials are urging restraint and accountability from Iraqis and Iranians helping in the fight.  But they are all aware the sectarian tinderbox could ignite at any moment.

Archaeological site destroyed

The head of UNESCO has condemned²¹ the bulldozing of the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud in northern Iraq by Islamic State militants, saying "the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage constitutes a war crime."

"UNESCO is determined²² to do whatever is needed to document and protect the heritage of Iraq and lead the fight against the illicit²³ traffic of cultural artifacts, which directly contributes to the financing of terrorism," Irnia Bokova, the chief of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization  said Friday. "I call on all political and religious leaders in the region to stand up and remind everyone that there is absolutely no political or religious justification²⁴ for the destruction of humanity's cultural heritage."

Islamic State militants began bulldozing Nimrud Thursday, the latest in a series of assaults on Iraq's historical heritage by the terrorist group.

Iraq's Ministry²⁵ of Tourism said in a statement the IS militants continue to "defy the will of the world and the feelings of humanity" with their attacks on historic sites.

Abdulamir Hamdani, an Iraqi archaeologist, told the French News Agency, "I'm sorry to say everybody was expecting this. Their plan is to destroy Iraqi heritage, one site at a time." 

The extent of the latest attack in Nimrud is not fully¹⁰ known, the government said.

Among Nimrud's treasures are the huge "lamassu" statues that depict²⁶ lions or winged bulls with human heads.

Ihsan Fethi, a member of the Iraqi Architects Society, told The New York Times, "I cannot even describe the immensity of this loss… This is one of the most famous and probably one of the most important sites in the world."

Nimrud, one of the jewels of the Assyrian era, was founded in the 13th century BC and is located on the Tigris River, about 30 kilometers southeast of Mosul where IS terrorists recently destroyed priceless artifacts in a museum.

Video of the Mosul devastation²⁷ showed the jihadists tearing through the museum knocking statues off the platforms. It also showed the militants using a jackhammer to deface a granite²⁸ Assyrian winged bull at the Nergal Gate in Mosul.

The jihadists are destroying the artifacts because in their harsh interpretation²⁹ of Islam statues, idols³⁰ and shrines³¹ amount to idolatry.

The Iraqi Tourism Ministry said in its statement "leaving these gangs without punishment will encourage them to eliminate human civilization entirely³², especially the Mesopotamian civilization which cannot be compensated³³."

The ministry has asked the U.N. Security Council for help.

1 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。

2 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

3 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

4 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

8 purge   

n.整肃，清除，泻药，净化；vt.净化，清除，摆脱；vi.清除，通便，腹泻，变得清洁

参考例句：

• The new president carried out a purge of disloyal army officers.新总统对不忠诚的军官进行了清洗。
• The mayoral candidate has promised to purge the police department.市长候选人答应清洗警察部门。

9 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。

10 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

11 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。

12 cleanse   

vt.使清洁，使纯洁，清洗

参考例句：

• Health experts are trying to cleanse the air in cities. 卫生专家们正设法净化城市里的空气。
• Fresh fruit juices can also cleanse your body and reduce dark circles.新鲜果汁同样可以清洁你的身体,并对黑眼圈同样有抑制作用。

13 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

14 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

15 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 stork   

n.鹳

参考例句：

• A Fox invited a long-beaked Stork to have dinner with him.狐狸请长嘴鹳同他一起吃饭。
• He is very glad that his wife's going to get a visit from the stork.他为她的妻子将获得参观鹳鸟的机会感到非常高兴。

17 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

18 demolition   

n.破坏,毁坏,毁坏之遗迹

参考例句：

• The church has been threatened with demolition for years. 这座教堂多年来一直面临拆毀的威胁。
• The project required the total demolition of the old bridge. 该项目要求将老桥完全拆毁。

19 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

20 authenticity   

n.真实性

参考例句：

• There has been some debate over the authenticity of his will. 对于他的遗嘱的真实性一直有争论。
• The museum is seeking an expert opinion on the authenticity of the painting. 博物馆在请专家鉴定那幅画的真伪。

21 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

22 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

23 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

24 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

25 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。

26 depict   

vt.描画，描绘；描写，描述

参考例句：

• I don't care to see plays or films that depict murders or violence.我不喜欢看描写谋杀或暴力的戏剧或电影。
• Children's books often depict farmyard animals as gentle,lovable creatures.儿童图书常常把农场的动物描写得温和而可爱。

27 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 granite   

adj.花岗岩，花岗石

参考例句：

• They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
• The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。

29 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

30 idols   

偶像( idol的名词复数 )； 受崇拜的人或物； 受到热爱和崇拜的人或物； 神像

参考例句：

• The genii will give evidence against those who have worshipped idols. 魔怪将提供证据来反对那些崇拜偶像的人。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史
• Teenagers are very sequacious and they often emulate the behavior of their idols. 青少年非常盲从，经常模仿他们的偶像的行为。

31 shrines   

圣地，圣坛，神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• All three structures dated to the third century and were tentatively identified as shrines. 这3座建筑都建于3 世纪，并且初步鉴定为神庙。
• Their palaces and their shrines are tombs. 它们的宫殿和神殿成了墓穴。

32 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

33 compensated   

补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款）

参考例句：

• The marvelous acting compensated for the play's weak script. 本剧的精彩表演弥补了剧本的不足。
• I compensated his loss with money. 我赔偿他经济损失。