IN THE NEWS - Week in Iraq

IN THE NEWS - Week in Iraq
By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Saturday, July 03, 2004

This is Bob Doughty¹ with In the News, in VOA Special English.

 
Saddam Hussein
This week brought events many Iraqis never thought they would see. On Thursday, Saddam Hussein appeared before an Iraqi court. So did eleven of his former top officials. The ousted² president and the others were charged with crimes against humanity³ and war crimes. They were in power for twenty-four years.

The charges involve the suppression of Shiite and Kurdish rebellions⁴. They also involve the war with Iran during the nineteen-eighties, and the invasion of Kuwait in nineteen-ninety.

Saddam Hussein argued that he is still president.

Among the others charged is Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as "Chemical Ali." He reportedly gave orders to use chemical weapons against Kurdish separatists in nineteen-eighty-eight.

The new temporary government in Iraq took legal control of the twelve men on Wednesday. They are no longer considered prisoners of war. They are now criminal suspects under Iraqi law. But the American military will continue to guard them. They will be tried before a special Iraqi court set up in December by the former governing council. The trials are not expected to start until next year.

Lawyers for Saddam Hussein say they worry about the fairness of any trial under the present government. They say the trial should be delayed until Iraqis elect a permanent government. The current leaders are to organize elections for a national assembly in January.

Some people say the former dictator⁵ should be tried by an international court. American officials say international legal experts will observe the trials to make sure they are fair.

Among the decisions that Iraqi leaders must make are these: Should foreign defense⁶ lawyers be permitted to work in Iraq? Should the trials be broadcast? And should Iraq again permit death sentences?

The temporary prime minister, Iyad Allawi, has promised that the trials will be fair. He says the men will be given legal rights that they denied Iraqi citizens under their rule. Mister Allawi was sworn into office on Monday, when the United States returned the right for Iraq to govern itself. The ceremony took place two days early, for security reasons.

More than one-hundred Iraqis and Americans have died in recent attacks in Iraq. On Friday, rockets hit two hotels in Baghdad. Damage was minor⁷ and no one was seriously hurt.

More than one-hundred-fifty-thousand foreign troops are in Iraq. Most are American. Late this week, Yemen and Jordan offered to send troops to Iraq. They would be the first Arab nations to do so.

And the prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as part of the American-led war on terrorism won an important ruling this week. The Supreme⁸ Court ruled Monday that Americans and foreigners held at the base have the right to have their cases heard in federal courts.

In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Bob Doughty.

1 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

2 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

3 humanity   

n.人类，[总称]人(性)，人道[pl.]人文学科

参考例句：

• Such an act is a disgrace to humanity.这种行为是人类的耻辱。
• We should treat animals with humanity.我们应该以仁慈之心对待动物。

4 rebellions   

对政府的（尤指武装）反抗( rebellion的名词复数 )； 造反； （对权威的）反抗； 背叛行为

参考例句：

• I've been putting down rebellions in this rotten outpost for eleven years. 十一年来我一直在偏僻边疆消弭叛变。
• This avatar is fully equipped to deal with prison riots and other rebellions. 这个化身足够对付监狱暴乱和其它叛乱。

5 dictator   

n.独裁者，爱发号施令的人

参考例句：

• We felt quite impotent to resist the will of the dictator.我们感到无力抗拒独裁者的意志。
• A dictator must have a firm hand.独裁者的手段是很厉害的。

6 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。

7 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

8 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。