2006年VOA标准英语-Saddam Death Sentence Upheld by Iraq Appeals Co

By Margaret Besheer
Irbil
26 December 2006

Ousted1 Iraqi President Saddam Hussein listens to the prosecution2 during the 'Anfal' genocide trial in Baghdad on Wednesday 20 Dec. 2006" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070514/1412310.jpg" width="156" vspace="2" border="0" />

Ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein listens to the prosecution during the 'Anfal' genocide trial in Baghdad on Wednesday 20 Dec. 2006

Iraq's highest appeals court has upheld the death sentence for Saddam Hussein ordering him to be put to death in the next 30 days. Meanwhile, Iraqi security officials say car bombings and roadside explosions across Baghdad today killed at least 37 people and wounded many more. From northern Iraq, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

The court rejected Saddam's appeal to overturn the death penalty and has cleared the way for him to be hanged for ordering the executions of 148 Shi'ite men in the town of Dujail after a failed assassination³ attempt against him there in 1982.

Chief Appellate Judge Munir Haddad told reporters in Baghdad that the sentence must be carried out within the next 30 days, but it is possible that it could be carried out before the January 27 deadline.

Saddam's lawyers have said the trial against the former dictator was unfair, accusing the Shi'ite-led government of interfering⁴ by removing some of the judges.

Saddam was convicted and sentenced to hang last month for the 1982 executions. He is currently standing⁵ trial for his role in the Anfal campaign of the late 1980s in which some 180,000 Kurds were killed.

The announcement raised concerns that Sunni extremists and Saddam loyalists might launch attacks to protest the verdict. A curfew could be imposed on the capital in the coming days.

In a separate development, Medical officials say a car bomb killed at least 15 people near a mosque⁶ in a Sunni neighborhood of the capital.

Earlier Tuesday, three near simultaneous car bombs exploded in western Baghdad, killing⁷ at least 16.

Ministry⁸ of Interior official, Jihad al-Jabarri, told Iraqi television that two of the cars were parked on opposite sides of a busy intersection⁹ and the third car was parked near them.

Jabarri says terrorists detonated the first two vehicles and then blew up the third one three minutes later, after a crowd of people had rushed to the scene of the first attack. He says all three cars were detonated by remote control.

1 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。

2 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

3 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

4 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

5 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。

6 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 intersection   

n.交集，十字路口，交叉点；[计算机] 交集

参考例句：

• There is a stop sign at an intersection.在交叉路口处有停车标志。
• Bridges are used to avoid the intersection of a railway and a highway.桥用来避免铁路和公路直接交叉。