英闻天下——435 Al-Qaida Branch Claims Responsibility for Attacks

 　　An Al-Qaeda militant¹ group in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the wave of bombings in central Iraq, which left up to 60 people dead.

 

　　Although, the authenticity² of the group's online statement is yet to be verified.

 

　　They're called the 'Islamic State of Iraq' who apparently³ says Tuesday's attacks were just the first in response to Justice Minister Hassan al-Shammari's comments.

 

　　Al-Shammari earlier pledged to speed up the executions of terrorists after his office building was attacked last week.

 

　　Now Tuesday's bombings mainly struck Shiite areas in Baghdad and nearby towns.

 

　　On top of the 60 or so deaths, more than 200 others have also been injured.

 

　　The attacks fell on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion which ousted⁴ Saddam Hussein.

 

　　Today of course marks that anniversary but people on the streets of Iraq say they've seen little change in a decade since the war began.

 

　　Female "Honestly, it's all the same. All we want is security. Things aren't bad but we do need security for our children - nothing more, nothing less. The situation changes from time to time. Sometimes it's safe, and we say there's nothing to worry about. Then sometimes it isn't safe. It's difficult."

 

　　Male "Ten years have passed, and I still have no proper home, no public services, no electricity, no running water, no education for our children, no schools. All I've got is the house you see here - I built it from mud."

 

　　The US government meanwhile has commemorated⁵ the 10th anniversary, with the White House saying President Barack Obama cherishes the memory of the nearly 45-hundred American troops that were killed in Iraq.

 

　　For more on the situation in Iraq and the Middle East, we spoke⁶ earlier with Li Guofu, senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies.

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 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。

3 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

4 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

5 commemorated   

v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Lincoln commemorated the soldiers killed in the battle in his address. 林肯在演说中表扬阵亡将士。 来自辞典例句
• You'll be commemorated for killing a spy, and be specially discharged. 你们每杀一个间谍将会被记录到特殊档案。 来自电影对白

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。