2006年VOA标准英语-ICRC Chief Gives Mixed Review of US Detainee Tr

By Michael Bowman
Washington
19 October 2006

The International Committee of the Red Cross says the United States has made progress in the treatment of detainees in the war on terrorism, but that concerns remain.

Jakob Kellenberger, the president of the ICRC said Thursday that there are minimum, universal standards for the treatment of detainees in wartime -- including those captured in the global war on terror. "In ICRC's view, internees must, among other things, be informed of the reasons for their detention¹, and a procedure provided for them to effectively challenge it. The reasons for detention need to be evaluated by an independent and impartial² body with the authority to order release if the reasons for internment³ no longer exist," he said.

Speaking at Georgetown University, the ICRC chief added that in no case may anyone be held in what he termed "unacknowledged detention." To that end, he welcomed the Bush administration's acknowledgement of secret prisons run by the CIA, and the transfer of detainees previously⁴ held incommunicado to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

He also noted⁵ U.S. Defense⁶ Department directives to ensure that the provisions of Common Article Three of the Geneva Conventions are applied⁷ to all detainees in military custody⁸. Those provisions include a ban on torture and degrading treatment, as well as executions absent a judgment⁹ by a regularly constituted court.

But the ICRC chief expressed reservations about the bill President Bush recently signed into law establishing military commissions for trying detainees. "There remain concerns and questions with regard to the Military Commissions Act of 2006. These [concerns] relate in particular to the definition of unlawful enemy combatants, to certain aspects of procedure before military commissions, and the fact that the act does not provide more clarity on the fate of the majority of detainees -- I mean those not brought before the military commissions," he said.

The bill sets out standards for the treatment of detainees and, for those charged with crimes, it establishes a tribunals system that allows detainees legal representation as well as the ability to hear evidence brought against them. Fewer than 100 of more than 400 detainees currently held at Guantanamo have been charged. More than 100 others have been approved for transfer out of Guantanamo. The fate of those neither charged nor approved for transfer remains¹⁰ unclear.

Human rights groups have criticized the bill as lacking adequate legal and humanitarian¹¹ protections for detainees.

Not so, according to U.S. National Intelligence Director John Negroponte, in a VOA interview. "It creates military commissions which allows for trials for these unlawful enemy combatants, and it will mean that people like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who masterminded the 9-11 (2001) plot, and others who have committed very serious offenses¹², will be able to be tried in a way that we all consider satisfactory. And, secondly¹³, the law describes a way forward so that interrogations of unlawful enemy combatants will be possible by the CIA in a way that respects our constitution, our laws, and our international legal obligations, including Common Article Three of the Geneva accords," he said.

When the detainee operation began following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, the Bush administration insisted that, as enemy combatants fighting without uniforms and without allegiance to any nation, the Geneva Conventions did not apply. The administration nevertheless promised humane¹⁴ treatment.

1 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。

2 impartial   

adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的

参考例句：

• He gave an impartial view of the state of affairs in Ireland.他对爱尔兰的事态发表了公正的看法。
• Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。

3 internment   

n.拘留

参考例句：

• Certainly the recent attacks against the internment camps are evidence enough. 很明显，最近营地遭受到的攻击就是一个足好的证明。 来自互联网
• The chapters on the internment are Both readaBle and well researched. 这些关于拘留的章节不仅具可读性而且研究得很透彻。 来自互联网

4 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 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。

7 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

8 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

9 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

12 offenses   

n.进攻( offense的名词复数 )；（球队的）前锋；进攻方法；攻势

参考例句：

• It's wrong of you to take the child to task for such trifling offenses. 因这类小毛病责备那孩子是你的不对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Thus, Congress cannot remove an executive official except for impeachable offenses. 因此，除非有可弹劾的行为，否则国会不能罢免行政官员。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

13 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

14 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。