2006年VOA标准英语-Guantanamo Detainees Stage Riot, Suicide A

By Al Pessin
Washington
19 May 2006

U.S. military guards at the Guantanamo detention¹ center fired rubber shotgun pellets and used batons² and shields to put down a small but violent riot by detainees Thursday evening. Senior officers at the facility spoke³ by telephone to reporters in the United States Friday and VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Exterior⁴ of bunkhouse at Guantanamo similar to one where riot  
  

The officers say 10 detainees in a medium-security part of the facility lured⁶ guards into their bunkhouse by simulating a suicide attempt. The commander of the detention operation, Rear Admiral Harry⁷ Harris, says the detainees were ready when the guards came in.

Admiral Harris says what followed was a "dangerous disturbance⁸." He says the guards train for possible fake suicide attempts used to lure⁵ guards into a trap because detainees at Guantanamo have done that in the past. But the tactic⁹ worked to some extent anyway.

 
Room in Guantanamo Camp 4, similar to room where attack occurred
  
The commander of the guards, Colonel Mike Baumgarner, described what happened. "We entered with a force of approximately 10 individuals. And we were meeting one-to-one force with riot batons and shields. Frankly¹⁰, the detainees were jumping off the beds on top of the guards," he said.

Colonel Baumgarner says the senior non-commissioned officer on the scene determined¹¹ that the guards' lives were in danger. "Frankly, we were losing the fight at that point. He then authorized¹² the engagement with non-lethal rounds," he said.

The colonel says those 'non-lethal rounds' were five shotgun shells containing rubber pellets, and what he described as one 'sponge grenade.' He says the disturbance was put down within about four minutes, with six detainees receiving minor¹³ injuries and some of the guards suffering cuts and bruises¹⁴.

Makeshift weapon used by detainees at Guantanamo  
  
But that was not the end of the incident. "As that was unfolding, two other bays (bunkhouses) reacted to where they began to carry out significant property damage. As that unfolded, they also assaulted another guard by throwing a glass at him," he said.

Colonel Baumgarner says those two groups of detainees destroyed everything they could in their rooms, including security cameras, wires and electric fans, which they tried to make into weapons. The colonel says that part of the disturbance was ended by what he called verbal commands and a show of force. He says by then he had called in about 100 extra guards.

The colonel reports total damage caused during the disturbance amounted to about $110,000, mainly from the destruction of the cameras.

The area where the disturbances¹⁵ happened is for detainees who have been cooperative in the past. The communal¹⁶ living, access to large exercise yards and other privileges are designed to be more pleasant than other parts of the center, where detainees live in individual cells and exercise in small yards.

The officers also report that the confrontations¹⁷ Thursday evening followed incidents earlier in the day in which two detainees in a more secure part of the center tried to commit suicide by taking overdoses of prescription¹⁸ drugs that they had hoarded¹⁹ for some time. The officers say the two men were quickly treated by the center's medical staff and Friday afternoon were stable but still unconscious in the base's hospital.

In addition, the officers say two other detainees took pills apparently²⁰ to show support for the first two, but they did not have enough pills to become seriously ill. Guards found a cache of pills in another detainee's cell.

Admiral Harris, the overall detention center commander, describes the detainees as "dangerous and committed jihadists," and he says they rioted Thursday to get publicity²¹. "This is a way to bring attention to their position, and the fact that they are continuing to wage war against America and our allies. And they are doing what they can to further their ideals," he said.

Admiral Harris also praised both the guard force for using minimal²² force to contain the disturbance, and the medical staff for acting²³ quickly and effectively to save the lives of the two men who actually tried to commit suicide.

Also on Friday, the United Nations Committee Against Torture called on the United States to close the Guantanamo detention facility.

Earlier, the United States transferred 15 Guantanamo detainees back to their home country, Saudi Arabia. That transfer, and others in recent weeks, have brought the number of detainees at Guantanamo to about 460, more than 100 of whom have been approved for release and are waiting for their home countries, or other countries, to agree to accept them.

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 batons   

n.（警察武器）警棍( baton的名词复数 )；（乐队指挥用的）指挥棒；接力棒

参考例句：

• There were many riot policemen with batons. 有许多带警棍的防暴警察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Chinese police fight? Number one is a person with batons to fight! 满街飘的中国国旗，是一个老华侨在事发时那出来分给大家的，很感动，真的，从来一向多一事不如少一事的中国人今天团结到一起站出来反抗。 来自互联网

3 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。

4 exterior   

adj.外部的，外在的；表面的

参考例句：

• The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。
• We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

5 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

6 lured   

吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车，但又设法逃掉了。
• Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下，继续奋力向前。

7 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

8 disturbance   

n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调

参考例句：

• He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
• You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。

9 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

10 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

11 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。

12 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

13 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

14 bruises   

n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来，摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 disturbances   

n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍

参考例句：

• The government has set up a commission of inquiry into the disturbances at the prison. 政府成立了一个委员会来调查监狱骚乱事件。
• Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances. 已调集了增援警力来平定骚乱。

16 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

17 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句

18 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

19 hoarded   

v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It owned great properties and often hoarded huge treasures. 它拥有庞大的财产，同时往往窖藏巨额的财宝。 来自辞典例句
• Sylvia among them, good-naturedly applaud so much long-hoarded treasure of useless knowing. 西尔维亚也在他们中间，为那些长期珍藏的无用知识，友好地、起劲地鼓掌。 来自互联网

20 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。

21 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

22 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

23 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。