VOA常速英语2008年-Australia Offers Sanctuary to Iraqi Workers

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
09 April 2008

Australia will offer a permanent home to hundreds of its Iraqi employees when Canberra pulls its combat forces out of the troubled country later this year. There are fears these employees could face retribution after Australian troops are withdrawn¹. Phil Mercer reports from Sydney.

When senior Australian government ministers recently visited Iraq, their country's soldiers urged the government not to abandon Iraqi employees when Canberra withdraws its combat units later this year.

Defense² Minister Joel Fitzgibbon has acknowledged that Iraqis may face danger because they work for the Australian forces in the south of the country. He says some have been targeted by insurgents³.

Fitzgibbon says all locally hired employees and their families will be eligible⁴ to settle in Australia.

"We expect up to 600 Iraqis will be involved in the process," he said. "Interpreters and translators there have played a very significant role in assisting us in terms of strategy and of course, protection. And we do feel that we have a moral obligation to them, to resettle them here in Australia."

The Iraqis who accept Australia's offer will be subject to strict health and security checks.

Australia has about 1,500 military personnel in and around Iraq. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has promised to bring home 550 combat troops by the middle of this year.

The government in Canberra wants to avoid a repeat of the Vietnam War. After the war ended, thousands of Vietnamese working for the Australian and American forces were persecuted⁵ or killed by the victorious⁶ North Vietnamese government.

Some human rights groups criticize the plan to grant visas to Iraqi translators and other employees. They say that that thousands of other refugees who have fled the war in Iraq also deserve to be offered sanctuary⁷.

Australia resettles about 13,000 refugees each year through official humanitarian⁸ programs. Large numbers of Iraqis and displaced people from Afghanistan have been allowed to build new lives in Australia in the past several years.

1 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

2 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。

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 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

5 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。

6 victorious   

adj.胜利的，得胜的

参考例句：

• We are certain to be victorious.我们定会胜利。
• The victorious army returned in triumph.获胜的部队凯旋而归。

7 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

8 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。