2006年VOA标准英语-Gunmen Kidnap 50 People in Iraq

By Leta Hong Fincher
Washington, DC
06 June 2006
 
watch Iraqi Kidnap report

Iraqi officials say gunmen raided bus stations in Baghdad Monday and kidnapped 50 people. Also, a hard-line Sunni group warned the Iraqi government against taking part in attacks against insurgents¹ in the western Anbar province.

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Shell casings littered the ground near one of the kidnapping sites  
  

Iraqi officials say that gunmen in police uniforms seized 50 people at Baghdad bus stations Monday in an area where companies offer travel mostly to Syria and Jordan. The Interior Ministry² has denied any police involvement.

Victims included employees of Baghdad transport companies as well as passengers. Amjid Hameed witnessed the abduction.

"About 15 cars carrying military troops raided the transport companies,” Hameed said. “They arrested my three cousins and owners of the companies."

 
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki 
  
This and other attacks have dealt a blow to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's promise to contain sectarian violence. Also, a hardline Sunni group has warned the Iraqi government against taking part in attacks against insurgents in the western Anbar province.

Iraq's parliament postponed³ a meeting Sunday to decide on candidates for defense⁴ and interior ministers. Political wrangling⁵ among Iraq's ethnic⁶ and sectarian parties forced Mr. Maliki to leave the two key posts vacant when he formed his unity⁷ government in May.

Mr. Maliki has said that his government is working on a plan to restore security to Ramadi, the capital of western Anbar province, and that Iraqi forces will work with U.S. troops. 

Mohammed Bashar al-Faidi   
  
Mohammed Bashar al-Faidi, a spokesman for the Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars, warned the Iraqi government against taking part in any assaults against Anbar.  "The consequences of such bloody⁸ participation⁹ would be very dangerous for Iraqi society and for the government," he said.

The Sunni group is highly critical of U.S. forces and is believed to have links with insurgents. 

A U.S. military spokesman said last week that U.S. forces are "very concerned" about Ramadi because al-Qaida militants¹⁰ in Iraq have increased their presence there. The U.S. military says it has brought 1,500 extra combat troops from Kuwait to Iraq to step up the fight against al-Qaida and insurgents

1 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

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

4 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。

5 wrangling   

v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. 双方大部分时间都在围绕程序问题争论不休。 来自辞典例句
• The children were wrangling (with each other) over the new toy. 孩子为新玩具（互相）争吵。 来自辞典例句

6 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

7 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

8 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

9 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

10 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。