VOA标准英语2009-Battle Against Pakistan's Top Taliban Leader

The Pakistani government is hoping to capitalize on public support for its military offensive against Taliban militants¹ in the northwest as it prepares to hunt down top Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud in South Waziristan. The rugged² terrain³ of Waziristan demands very different tactics than those used against militants in the nearby Swat Valley.
　
Pakistani army soldiers patrol in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, near the border with Afghanistan (File photo)

Pakistan's military has achieved a measure of success against Taliban militants in the Swat Valley and taken control of its main town, Mingora. Now, the government says it is ready to go after Taliban leaders in Waziristan.

Different challenge

But Waziristan, just south of the valley in the Federally Administered Tribal⁴ Areas, presents a very different challenge for the military.

Khalid Aziz is the former chief secretary of North West Frontier Province. Aziz, who currently heads the Regional Institute of Policy, Research and Training in Peshawar, describes the key differences between the Swat Valley and Waziristan.

"Waziristan is full of narrow valleys and barren mountains and it's a God-given country for any guerilla to fight in," Aziz said. "It becomes very difficult for normal military operations to take place. It's a country more like the mountainous parts of Afghanistan, where you have to undertake special operations, more use of the air (power) and, also, political handling. Because it's absolutely essential that the political side should be going -- which is to create counter-balance against Baitullah Mehsud."

Quick, sharp attacks

Retired⁵ Brigadier General Mehmood Shah served as a senior official in North West Frontier Province. He says Pakistani troops will have to launch quick, sharp and precise attacks in the area if they hope to prevail.

"Here you are facing a very hardened sort of fighters, who are die-hard," Shah said. "We are talking about Mehsud area and Baitullah Mehsud. He is in fact the center of everything for the whole Taliban movement in Pakistan and in the tribal area, including Swat. So you are going to have a very, very tough fight."

Mehsud network wreaks⁶ havoc⁷

Baitullah Mehsud and his network of fighters and suicide bombers⁸ have wreaked⁹ havoc in Pakistan with a series of spectacular terrorist attacks across the country. The tribal areas he controls have served as a major safe haven¹⁰ for al-Qaida and other terrorist groups. Mehsud also is accused of orchestrating the assassination¹¹ of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Iqbal Khattak, a Peshawar-based journalist for the Daily Times newspaper, says for the army to be successful in South Waziristan, it will also be crucial for it to exploit tribal tensions that exist between the Mehsuds and Wazirs, the two major clans¹² in the region.

"This is very important that you get the local population's support," Khattak said. "If that support comes to you, it is an extra bonus for your operational strategy. The Wazirs, I don't think they will be unhappy about any harm to the Mehsud people because they do not like that the Mehsud's are dominating the region."

New approach

The Pakistani army has fought in Waziristan several times in recent years with little to show for its efforts except peace deals that have quickly fallen apart and emboldened¹³ Mehsud and his fighters.

There are indications, however, that this time the Pakistani army and government are thinking differently about the current offensive. Analyst¹⁴ Khalid Aziz puts it this way: in the past, the army merely wanted to manage the problem of Baitullah Mehsud. Now, it wants to eliminate him.

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 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

3 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

4 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 wreaks   

诉诸（武力），施行（暴力），发（脾气）( wreak的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Worshipping the sun wreaks havoc on skin. So does smoking. 过度晒太阳会毁掉好皮肤，吸烟也是如此。
• His hard work wreaks havoc in his personal life. 他拼命工作破坏了他的私人生活。

7 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

8 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 wreaked   

诉诸（武力），施行（暴力），发（脾气）( wreak的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city. 地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• They have wreaked dreadful havoc among the wildlife by shooting and trapping. 他们射杀和诱捕野生动物，造成了严重的破坏。

10 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

11 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

12 clans   

宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派

参考例句：

• There are many clans in European countries. 欧洲国家有很多党派。
• The women were the great power among the clans [gentes], as everywhere else. 妇女在克兰〈氏族〉里，乃至一般在任何地方，都有很大的势力。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

13 emboldened   

v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine, he went over to introduce himself to her. 他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• His success emboldened him to expand his business. 他有了成就因而激发他进一步扩展业务。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。