VOA标准英语2009年-Suicide Bombing Targets Police Academy in Baghd

A suicide bomber¹ has killed at least 28 people near Iraq's police academy in Baghdad. The attack occurred as the United States and Britain announced major troop reductions by September.
　
A wounded Iraqi policeman being treated in a Baghdad hospital, 08 Mar² 2009

The explosion, outside Baghdad's police academy, was the second major terrorist attack in Iraq in three days. A suicide bomber, riding either a bicycle or a motorcycle, detonated an explosive belt near a side entrance to the academy, killing³ and wounding dozens.

An eyewitness⁴ said a large number of victims were police officers and many were badly injured.

Two previous explosions targeted the police academy, one in December, and another two years ago. The attacks caused the closure of the area to most vehicular traffic.

One lane of Palestine Street where the explosion took place was reopened to through traffic, last year, although police set up numerous checkpoints. Motorbikes, and bicycles, however, were not restricted.

Interior Ministry⁵ spokesman General Abdel Karim Khalaf indicated the explosion took place in a sensitive area.

Many government ministries⁶, he says, are located in this area, and it is a congregating⁷ place for many ordinary citizens. It would appear, he argues, the perpetrators are retaliating⁸ for the arrests of a large number of al-Qaida members two weeks ago, including a handful of kingpins. He says Iraqi authorities dismantled⁹ more than 15 al-Qaida cells and it is a normal reaction on their part to target Iraq's security forces. He said this was not what he would call a security breakdown¹⁰ ...

General Khalaf insisted he is "optimistic" about the security situation in Iraq.

He says the security situation in Iraq is much better than it was before. Explosions like this could take place anywhere. Similar things have happened in Turkey, Spain, France, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Syria, he argues, and all of these countries are reputedly safe places. This kind of explosion is perpetrated by a small cell, and one person, probably a teenager, blows himself up, attacking the entire civilian¹¹ population of the country. The success of Iraq's security forces, in general, he maintains, has provoked this kind of operation.

The suicide attack took place while U.S. and Iraqi officials announced there would be a drawdown of U.S. and British troops by the end of December.

Al-Iraqia TV showed U.S. commanding General Raymond Odierno and Iraqi Defense¹² Minister Abdel Qader Mohammed Jassem making the announcement. U.S. military spokesman Lieutenant¹³. John Brimley explains the decision.

"General Odierno made the recommendation to reduce forces within the next six months," Brimley said. "When this is complete, approximately 12,000 fewer U.S. and 4,000 fewer British forces will be in Iraq."

Despite the recent explosions, the security situation in Iraq has improved dramatically since late 2007, causing President Barack Obama to announce an end to combat operations in Iraq within 18 months.

1 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

2 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 eyewitness   

n.目击者，见证人

参考例句：

• The police questioned several eyewitness to the murder.警察询问了谋杀案的几位目击者。
• He was the only eyewitness of the robbery.他是那起抢劫案的唯一目击者。

5 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。

6 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

7 congregating   

（使）集合，聚集( congregate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The spatial distribution patterns of larvae and pupae are congregating distribution. 幼虫和蛹的空间分布均为聚集分布。
• He says victims of violence are congregating there because they feel safer. 他说暴力的受害者聚集在这里因为他们觉得更安全。

8 retaliating   

v.报复，反击( retaliate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The administration will begin retaliating in six weeks if EC policies remain unchanged. 凯特先生说，如果欧共体一意孤行，美国政府将于六周后开始报复。 来自互联网

9 dismantled   

拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消

参考例句：

• The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。
• The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。

10 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

11 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。

12 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。

13 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。