2006年VOA标准英语-Dozens of Taleban Rebels Reportedly Killed

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
24 May 2006

 
Afghan civilans, who were injured by the U.S. airstrike on Monday, rest at a local hospital in Kandahar, May 24, 2006
  
U.S. Military officials in Afghanistan say 24 Taleban rebels have been killed in a clash with government and coalition¹ forces in southern Afghanistan. U.S. officials have also apologized for an air strike earlier this week that reportedly killed 16 civilians³.

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Officials say the rebels were killed in a firefight Tuesday in Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan. Several government soldiers were also reportedly killed.

It was the latest in a series of clashes in the past two months in which about 300 people have been killed.

In addition, coalition officials acknowledged responsibility for an air strike Sunday that reportedly killed Afghan civilians in a remote part of southern Kandahar province.

A spokesman for the United States military, Colonel Tom Collins, apologized for the loss of innocent lives. But he defended the action, telling reporters in Kabul that the strike was ordered after coalition troops came under fire.

He says U.S. commanders did not know civilians were in the houses when the U.S. planes attacked, and he accused Taleban insurgents⁴ of intentionally⁵ using civilian² houses for protection.

"The ultimate cause of why civilians were injured and killed is because the Taleban knowingly, willfully chose to occupy homes of these people," said Collins.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered an inquiry⁶ into the incident.

In a written statement Tuesday, Mr. Karzai expressed concern over U.S. tactics, but also condemned⁷ the Taleban's use of so-called human shields.

Collins also told reporters that rebel activity has been rising in several southern Afghan provinces, which were the Taleban's traditional stronghold.

"There are several hundred hard-core Taleban fighters," he said. "And we know for a fact that in recent weeks they have grown in strength and influence in some parts of Kandahar, Helmand, and Uruzgan."

Local officials in the region say rebel activity typically rises during the summer and does not mean the government is losing popular support.

This year's violence has been the rebel's deadliest so-called "summer offensive" since U.S.-led forces ousted⁸ the Taleban regime in 2001 for harboring terrorist leader Osama bin⁹ Laden¹⁰.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

3 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。

4 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

5 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

6 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

7 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。

8 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。

9 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

10 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。