'Credible Evidence' Shows al-Qaida Planning

 

Laurie Kassman

Top U.S. officials say the terrorist group al-Qaida is poised¹ to hit the United States sometime during the next several months. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft says authorities are seeking six men and one woman believed to be linked to preparations for a terrorist attack.
Attorney General John Ashcroft said there is credible³ information that a terrorist attack in the United States may be imminent⁴. "Credible intelligence from multiple sources indicates that al-Qaida plans to attempt an attack on the United States in the next few months. This disturbing intelligence indicates al-Qaida's specific intention to hit the United States hard," he said.
Mr. Ashcroft said statements from al-Qaida after the terrorist bombing in Madrid in March say it is 90 percent ready to carry out an attack.
But he says there is no information indicating where or when or how that could happen.
The FBI has released the names of seven individuals accused of links to al-Qaida, including a U.S. convert to Islam, a Pakistani woman known as an al-Qaida operative who studied in the United States and two Africans indicted⁵ in the 1998 terrorist bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
"They all are sought in connection with possible terrorist threats in the United States. They all pose a clear and present danger to America. They all should be considered armed and dangerous," said Mr. Ashcroft
Mr. Ashcroft would not say if intelligence agencies know for certain whether any of the seven or other terrorist suspects are currently in the United States.
At the White House, spokesman Scott McClellan said that possibility cannot be ruled out. "In terms of the possibility of terrorists being here in the United States, we have to work under the assumption there are terrorists here and the intelligence reporting we have seen from time to time there may well be people in place ready to carry out attacks," he said.
U.S. officials point to several events they say could be attractive terrorist targets - including the Republican and Democratic political party conventions, a summit of the Group of Eight and the presidential elections in November. However, previous terrorist attacks against U.S. interests have not necessarily been linked to major events.
Still the Department of Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge⁶ is playing down any need for public alarm. "We don't need to raise the threat level to increase our security," he said.
Attorney General Ashcroft said a special task force has been set up to deal with the current threat.
注释：
al-Qaida 基地组织
poise² [pCiz] vi. 准备好
Attorney General 总检察长
imminent [5iminEnt] adj. 即将来临的，逼近的
Madrid [mE5drid] n. 马德里（西班牙首都）
carry out　实施
FBI abbr. （Fedral Bureau of Investitation）美国联邦调查局
Islam [5izlB:m] n. 伊斯兰教
Pakistani [7pB:kis5tB:ni] adj. 巴基斯坦的
embassy [5embEsi] n. 大使馆
Kenya [5ki:njE] n. 肯尼亚（地处东非高原，赤道横贯国境中部）
Tanzania [7tAnzE5ni:E] n. 坦桑尼亚（东非国家）
intelligence agencies 情报局
rule out v. 排除
in terms of 就……方面来说
assumption [E5sQmpFEn] n. 假定，设想
Republican and Democratic political party conventions 共和党和民主党会议
summit of the Group of Eight 八国集团峰会

1 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

2 poise   

vt./vi. 平衡，保持平衡；n.泰然自若，自信

参考例句：

• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise.她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。
• Ballet classes are important for poise and grace.芭蕾课对培养优雅的姿仪非常重要。

3 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

4 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

5 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

6 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。