2007年VOA标准英语-US Military Confirms al-Qaida is Targeting Coal

By Sean Maroney
Washington
20 February 2007
 
watch Helicopters in Iraq report

 
Inside US military helicopter
In the face of ongoing¹ violence, U.S. and Iraqi troops are stepping up the security crackdown in Baghdad and its surrounding suburbs.  But as VOA's Sean Maroney reports, Iraq's insurgents³ appear to be shifting their tactics aimed at coalition⁴ forces.

U.S. and Iraqi forces have stepped up efforts to keep Baghdad secure and deter⁵ insurgent² attacks around the capital.

In the mission they call "Operation Law and Order," coalition troops set up vehicle checkpoints while foot patrols search house to house -- all in an effort to flush out militia⁶ members and confiscate⁷ their weapons.

U.S. troops also are leaving their barracks in military bases, moving to smaller security stations throughout Baghdad, so they can be close to the people they are protecting.

 
Major General Jim Simmons
Major-General Jim Simmons oversees⁸ Army air operations in Iraq.  Under the new security plan, he says, helicopters overhead will protect troops on the ground. "We fly day, night.  We adjust [based] on what the enemy is doing.  We fly differently in different parts of the country.  That will continue."

And insurgents have taken notice.

Simmons confirms that the United States has seized al-Qaida documents in Iraq indicating the group has created a handbook for targeting coalition aircraft. "They are using two to three weapons systems deployed⁹ where they think we are going to fly, and they are very patient."

An insurgent group released this video shortly after a Marine¹⁰ chopper crashed two weeks ago.  Seven service members died.

U.S. officials say the "al-Qaida in Mesopotamia" group claims to have shot down three helicopters recently.  In the past 30 days (since Jan. 20), seven U.S. helicopters have gone down.

In Washington, Congress is preparing to debate President Bush's request for nearly 100 billion dollars more for the U.S. military effort in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Opposition¹¹ Democrats¹² in the House (of Representatives) are willing to fund Mr. Bush's request, but with the condition that the administration adheres to strict standards for troops' equipment and training.

The House has passed a non-binding resolution expressing disapproval¹³ for the president's plan to station more troops in Iraq, but a similar resolution failed in the Senate Saturday.

President Bush is sending nearly 22-thousand additional troops to Iraq -- expanding the U.S. combat force by more than 15 percent.  Since the invasion of Iraq nearly four years ago (in March 2003), more than 3,000 U.S. troops have died there.

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

3 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

4 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。

5 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

6 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

7 confiscate   

v.没收(私人财产)，把…充公

参考例句：

• The police have the right to confiscate any forbidden objects they find.如发现违禁货物，警方有权查扣。
• Did the teacher confiscate your toy?老师没收你的玩具了吗？

8 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

9 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

10 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。