VOA标准英语2012--Iranian Dissident Group Seeks to Shed Terrorist Label

Iranian Dissident Group Seeks to Shed Terrorist Label 

The Iranian opposition¹ group Mujahedin-e Khalq is pursuing a two-part campaign to get off of the U.S. State Department's list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

One part is a public relations effort involving prominent American supporters. The other, a court case against the State Department.

The MEK says it renounced² terrorism years ago. But the group's bloody³ origins remain, as recounted by Georgetown University's Paul Pillar.

"The MEK has a history that does go back to the time of the Shah in the 1970s. It was a group that propounded⁴ an ideology⁵ that mixed Islamism and Marxism," noted⁶ Pillar. "And, among their earliest operations were lethal⁷ operations against U.S. personnel, including U.S. military personnel, in Iran."

In the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the MEK backed Ayatollah Khomeini and the seizure⁸ of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

"They opposed any movement to settle it. At certain times, they were calling very loudly, very vocally⁹ for our trial and our execution," recalled former hostage John Limbert.

By 1981, however, the MEK split with the cleric-based regime, launching a bombing campaign that killed Iran's president and prime minister. Then, its leadership fled to Europe.

The MEK sided with Iraq in its 1980-1988 war with Iran.

In 1986, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein set up an enclave called Camp Ashraf for the group north of Baghdad.

In 1991, MEK forces allegedly assisted Saddam in putting down uprisings by the Kurds in Iraq's north, and the Shi'ites in the south.

Then, in April 1992, the MEK attacked Iranian embassies and facilities in 13 countries.

In 1997, a new U.S. law put the MEK and 29 other groups on the Foreign Terrorist Organization list. Britain and the European Union also put the MEK on terrorist lists.

Then, in 2002, the group said it had uncovered Iranian nuclear facilities at Natanz and elsewhere.

The next year, U.S. and coalition¹⁰ forces toppled Saddam Hussein. When U.S. troops reached Camp Ashraf, MEK members there signed pledges renouncing¹¹ weapons and terrorism.

Also in 2003, French authorities arrested MEK leader Maryam Rajavi and some 160 supporters for allegedly financing and planning terrorist attacks. Rajavi was later released.

Today, Camp Ashraf residents are being moved after attacks by Iraqi forces in 2009 and 2011.

But an American attorney for the group says the U.S. designation of the MEK as a Foreign Terrorist Organization is a major roadblock to the resettlement effort.

"Do I believe that the maintenance of the MEK on the FTO list severely¹² hampers¹³ their ability to be resettled abroad? I believe that fully," said Gerson.

The next segments of this series will examine the MEK's public relations campaign involving prominent Americans, and the group's court fight with the U.S. State Department. 

1 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。

2 renounced   

v.声明放弃( renounce的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃

参考例句：

• We have renounced the use of force to settle our disputes. 我们已再次宣布放弃使用武力来解决争端。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Andrew renounced his claim to the property. 安德鲁放弃了财产的所有权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 propounded   

v.提出（问题、计划等）供考虑[讨论]，提议( propound的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• the theory of natural selection, first propounded by Charles Darwin 查尔斯∙达尔文首先提出的物竞天择理论
• Indeed it was first propounded by the ubiquitous Thomas Young. 实际上，它是由尽人皆知的杨氏首先提出来的。 来自辞典例句

5 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

8 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

9 vocally   

adv. 用声音, 用口头, 藉著声音

参考例句：

• She is not SCREAMER or MOANER - She is VOCALLY APPRECIATIVE. 她并不乱叫或发牢骚，只是用声音表示喜怒。
• The left has been vocally against. 左派力量一直竭力声讨。

10 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。

11 renouncing   

v.声明放弃( renounce的现在分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃

参考例句：

• He enraged the government by renouncing the agreement. 他否认那项协议，从而激怒了政府。 来自辞典例句
• What do you get for renouncing Taiwan and embracing Beijing instead? 抛弃台湾，并转而拥抱北京之后，你会得到什么？ 来自互联网

12 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

13 hampers   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Prejudice sometimes hampers a person from doing the right thing. 有时候，偏见会妨碍人正确行事。
• This behavior is the opposite of modeless feedback, and it hampers flow. 这个行为有悖于非模态的反馈，它阻碍了流。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓