2006年VOA标准英语-Rumsfeld Defends US Military's Actions Aga

By Meredith Buel
Washington
12 January 2006

U.S. Defense¹ Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has defended the military's response to allegations of prisoner abuse, saying those responsible for illegal conduct are being punished.  Secretary Rumsfeld's remarks came after a major figure in the abuse scandal refused to testify in a court-martial² involving soldiers accused of threatening prisoners in Iraq.

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Donald Rumsfeld  
  

Secretary Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon there have been 12 major investigations³ into allegations of prisoner abuse of detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

He says 250 people have been punished for inappropriate behavior and the investigations have shown that the Defense Department's policies call for humane⁴ treatment for prisoners under its jurisdiction⁵. 

"What they indicate is that to the extent abusive or improper⁶ conduct by military people took place, it has been investigated in every instance and where appropriate it has been punished and it has not suggested that there have been policies that authorized⁷ or approved of that," he said.

Secretary Rumsfeld's comments came after the Washington Post newspaper reported that Major General Geoffrey Miller⁸, a key figure in the abuse scandal, has invoked⁹ his right not to incriminate himself during the court martial of two soldiers who allegedly used dogs to intimidate¹⁰ prisoners at Abu Ghraib.

The newspaper quotes military lawyers as saying this is the first time the general has given any indication there is evidence that could suggest he may have been involved in illegal activity.

An attorney representing General Miller says he decided¹¹ not to answer questions, because he has been interviewed many times about his role at prisons in Guantanamo Bay and Iraq.

The chairman of the Joint¹² Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, says military commanders are expected to tell the truth, but do not have to give up their rights.

"I don't know the facts in this case," he said.  "I would simply tell you that we expect our leaders to lead by example, but we do not expect them to give up their individual rights as people."

Under military rules and the U.S. Constitution, witnesses are protected from being forced to incriminate themselves in legal proceedings¹³.

General Miller once supervised the prison for foreign terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay and advised interrogators in Iraq before the abuse scandal erupted at the Abu Ghraib detention¹⁴ center near Baghdad.

1 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。

2 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

3 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

4 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

5 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

6 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

7 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

8 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

9 invoked   

v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求

参考例句：

• It is unlikely that libel laws will be invoked. 不大可能诉诸诽谤法。
• She had invoked the law in her own defence. 她援引法律为自己辩护。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

13 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

14 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。