新奇事件簿 美军空袭伊拉克（在线收听）

The USA has started targeting forces of the Islamic State (IS) in northern Iraq. Several US air strikes have taken out heavy weaponry that the Islamic State captured from the Iraqi army. President Obama said the new attacks are to protect American residents in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region. IS recently changed its name from ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). The group now controls a quarter of Iraq (including the country's largest dam), and a third of Syria. Mr Obama made it clear that there would be no boots on the ground. He said: "Even as we support Iraqis as they take the fight to these terrorists, American combat troops will not be returning to fight in Iraq."

美国开始攻击伊拉克北部的伊斯兰国家军队。美国的几次空袭，摧毁了一些伊斯兰国家从伊拉克军队掠夺的重武器。奥巴马总统称，新一轮的空袭是为了保护伊拉克库尔斯坦自治区埃尔比勒城市内的美国居民。最近，伊斯兰国家更改了名字，原来的名字是伊拉克与叙利亚内部的伊斯兰国家。这一组织目前控制了伊拉克四分之一的地区（包括伊拉克最大的大坝），以及叙利亚三分之一的地区。奥巴马明确表示不会在地面上驻军。奥巴马称，即使我们支持伊拉克是因为伊拉克也反抗这些恐怖分子，美国的作战部队也不会返回去在伊拉克境内作战。

Another reason for the air strikes on the IS is to protect Iraq's Yazidi people and other minority groups. The Yazidis are ethnically Kurdish. Their religion includes elements of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Zoroastrianism. The IS told the Yazidis to convert to Islam, pay a tax, or face death. Earlier this week the UN warned of a humanitarian catastrophe with the possibility of ethnic cleansing at the hands of the IS. The IS have reportedly taken hundreds of Yazidi women hostage. Obama said the latest US military action is also, "a humanitarian effort to help save thousands of (Yazidis) who are trapped on a mountain without food and water and facing almost certain death".

空袭伊斯兰国家的另一个原因是，为了保护伊拉克的雅迪兹民众和其他少数民族。雅迪兹属于库尔德民族。雅迪兹的宗教信仰包括犹太教、基督教、伊斯兰教和索罗亚斯德教。伊斯兰国家要求雅迪兹信仰伊斯兰教并纳税或者选择死亡。这周早些时候，联合国提醒人们警惕伊斯兰国家进行清教活动而造成的人道主义灾难。据报道，伊斯兰国家已经扣留了上千名雅迪兹妇女做人质。奥巴马称，最近美国军队的行为也是在进行人道主义救援，目的是为了解救成千上万的雅迪兹人民，那些雅迪兹民众被困在山上，没有水和食物，基本上面临死亡。