Terrorism: The US Role

 

By Leta Hong Fincher

Since September 11th, 2001, the United States has waged war on terrorism while advancing an agenda of democracy and freedom. But some U.S. critics say the policies of the Bush administration are instead encouraging terrorism. Leta Hong Fincher looks at U.S. policies in this final part of her series, "The Roots of Terrorism."
 
 
The Bush administration has declared that it is winning the war on terrorism.  U.S. officials say two-thirds of al-Qaida's senior leadership has been captured or killed.
 
But some dispute this claim and say that widespread anger about U.S. policies in the Muslim world is creating terrorists faster than the United States is able to defeat them.
 
Michael Scheuer is a former head of the bin¹ Laden² unit of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
 
Mr. Scheuer resigned from the agency so he could speak more openly about what he calls the government's failure to address the threat posed by Osama bin Laden and his followers³.
 
MICHAEL SCHEUER
"Bin laden has always said that al-Qaida is not capable, he is not capable of beating the United States, of driving us out of the Middle East by themselves. They have always regarded themselves as a vanguard, as an example for others to follow. Indeed, bin Laden says his most important role is to incite⁴ Muslims or instigate⁵ Muslims to take actions against the United States in response to what are perceived as attacks on the Islamic religion."
 
 
Among those perceived attacks on Islam, according to Mr. Scheuer: the U.S. military presence in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and other Muslim countries.  Another perceived attack is the unwavering U.S. support for Israel. 
 
Other analysts⁶ agree that a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could help redress⁷ the grievances⁸ of many Muslims, and limit the appeal of extremist groups.
 
Omer Taspinar, a scholar of Islam at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington D.C.
 
OMER TASPINAR
"In the eyes of Muslims, Israel basically equals the United States. There is not much difference. The U.S. support for Israel is basically unequivocal and it doesn't waver much, especially with this administration. Therefore, whatever they see as the persecution⁹ of the Palestinians in occupied territories, they blame as much Washington as Tel Aviv for this."
 
Mr. Taspinar believes the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat gives the United States an opportunity to revitalize the Middle East peace process. He also urges the United States to provide what he calls "serious funding" for socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation¹⁰.
 
Is it fair to hold the United States responsible for the problems of people in the Middle East and Asia?
 
Yes, according to Benjamin Barber, a democracy expert at the University of Maryland.  Mr. Barber says that even when the United States pursues good goals, the unintended consequences can be bad. 
 
He says the U.S. invasion of Iraq, for example, has overthrown¹¹ a brutal¹² dictator. But civilian¹³ casualties appear to have turned some Iraqis against the United States, playing into the hands of terrorists.
 
BENJAMIN BARBER
"The United States is the most powerful country in the world. That doesn't mean it is associated with and responsible for everything that happens.  It often is not. Often people are responsible for their own poverty, their own tyrannies and so on. But because it is the most powerful country in the world, it will be held responsible for what happens in the world."
 
The Bush administration argues that what is happening in the world, thanks to the United States, is the gradual triumph of freedom. It points to last October's elections in Afghanistan and upcoming elections in Iraq as evidence that the forces of democracy will prevail over terrorism.
 
President Bush says terrorists have made Iraq the central front in the war on terrorism because they know what is at stake.
 
PRESIDENT BUSH
"When a free and democratic society is established in Iraq in the heart of the Middle East, it will be a decisive blow to their aspirations¹⁴ to dominate the region and its people. A free Iraq will be a standing¹⁵ rebuke¹⁶ to radicalism¹⁷ and a model to reformers from Damascus to Tehran."
 
The University of Maryland's Benjamin Barber argues that the United States cannot simply export democracy and expect it to flourish in places that lack functioning public institutions.
 
And he says the United States needs to forgive more debt in the developing world, increase foreign aid, and work more closely with nongovernmental organizations and transnational institutions like the United Nations.
Mr. Barber says in a world of increasing interdependence, the fate of a child in Afghanistan is linked to the security of a child in New York. 
 
BENJAMIN BARBER
"Once upon a time we lived in a world of separate nation states, each in its boat on a rising tide. Today we're all in the same boat, and if there's a hole in the hull¹⁸, down on the lower level, sooner or later the people up on first class are also going to drown when the boats go down."
 
In other words, he says, terrorists will lose -- only when there is security for all.

Leta Hong Fincher, VOA News.
注释：
al-Qaida 基地组织
Central Intelligence Agency 美国中央情报局
vanguard 领导者
incite煽动
instigate鼓动
Yemen 也门(西南亚国家)
unequivocal 不含糊的
persecution 迫害
Tel Aviv特拉维夫(以色列港市)
alleviation 缓和
tyranny暴政,专治
rebuke指责, 谴责
interdependence互相依赖

1 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

2 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

3 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

4 incite   

v.引起，激动，煽动

参考例句：

• I wanted to point out he was a very good speaker, and could incite a crowd.我想说明他曾是一个非常出色的演讲家，非常会调动群众的情绪。
• Just a few words will incite him into action.他只需几句话一将，就会干。

5 instigate   

v.教唆，怂恿，煽动

参考例句：

• His object was to instigate a little rebellion on the part of the bishop.他的目的是，在主教方面煽起一场小小的造反。
• It would not prove worthwhile to instigate a nuclear attack.挑起核攻击最终是不值得的。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

7 redress   

n.赔偿，救济，矫正；v.纠正，匡正，革除

参考例句：

• He did all that he possibly could to redress the wrongs.他尽了一切努力革除弊端。
• Any man deserves redress if he has been injured unfairly.任何人若蒙受不公平的损害都应获得赔偿。

8 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

10 alleviation   

n. 减轻，缓和，解痛物

参考例句：

• These were the circumstances and the hopes which gradually brought alleviation to Sir Thomas's pain. 这些情况及其希望逐渐缓解了托马斯爵士的痛苦。
• The cost reduction achieved in this way will benefit patients and the society in burden alleviation. 集中招标采购降低的采购成本要让利于患者，减轻社会负担。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语

11 overthrown   

adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词

参考例句：

• The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。
• He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

12 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

13 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。

14 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

15 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

16 rebuke   

v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise

参考例句：

• He had to put up with a smart rebuke from the teacher.他不得不忍受老师的严厉指责。
• Even one minute's lateness would earn a stern rebuke.哪怕迟到一分钟也将受到严厉的斥责。

17 radicalism   

n. 急进主义, 根本的改革主义

参考例句：

• His radicalism and refusal to compromise isolated him. 他的激进主义与拒绝妥协使他受到孤立。
• Education produced intellectual ferment and the temptations of radicalism. 教育带来知识界的骚动，促使激进主义具有了吸引力。

18 hull   

n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳

参考例句：

• The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。
• The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。