VOA常速英语2007-White House Says US Does Not Torture

By Scott Stearns
White House
04 October 2007

The Bush administration is defending itself against reports that it authorized² harsher techniques to interrogate³ suspected terrorists than it has previously⁵ acknowledged.  VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.

The New York Times says a February 2005 opinion by the U.S. Justice Department authorized a combination of physical and psychological tactics including head slapping, simulated drowning, and exposure to extreme temperatures.

That previously-undisclosed opinion came three months after a separate, publicized opinion that declared torture abhorrent⁶.

In a written statement Thursday, the Justice Department said the December 2004 opinion remains⁷ binding⁸ and all interrogation practices are fully⁹ consistent with anti-torture statues.

White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino confirmed the existence of the February 2005 opinion, but she says all procedures used by U.S. interrogators are tough, safe, necessary, and lawful¹⁰.

"The policy of the United States is not to torture," Perino said. "The president has not authorized it.  He will not authorize¹ it.  But he has done everything within the corners of the law to make sure that we prevent another attack on this country, which is what we have done in this administration."

Perino says she will not comment specifically as to whether simulated drowning constitutes torture because discussing any specific interrogation techniques would allow the enemy to train against them.

Democratic Senator Ted⁴ Kennedy says, once again, Americans and people around the world are revolted by what he says is the Bush administration's refusal to reject cruel and degrading treatment of detainees.

"It would be bad enough if this administration had disgraced itself and this country by engaging in cruel and degrading treatment of detainees," Kennedy said. "It's worse still that it enlisted¹¹ the Justice Department in the effort to justify¹² and cover-up its activities."

Senator Kennedy says he is sponsoring legislation to apply the standards of the army field manual to all U.S. government interrogations, including the Central Intelligence Agency.

Democrats¹³ on the House Judiciary Committee say they will investigate the matter.  They want the Justice Department to turn over the February 2005 memo¹⁴ as well as a separate opinion later that year that found that no CIA interrogation methods violate congressional standards forbidding cruel, inhuman¹⁵, or degrading treatment.

The New York Times story again raises the issue of Bush administration interrogation practices as the Senate prepares to begin confirmation¹⁶ hearings for Judge Michael Mukasey to replace Alberto Gonzales as attorney general.

1 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

2 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。

3 interrogate   

vt.讯问，审问，盘问

参考例句：

• The lawyer took a long time to interrogate the witness fully.律师花了很长时间仔细询问目击者。
• We will interrogate the two suspects separately.我们要对这两个嫌疑人单独进行审讯。

4 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

5 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

6 abhorrent   

adj.可恶的，可恨的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• He is so abhorrent,saying such bullshit to confuse people.他这样乱说，妖言惑众，真是太可恶了。
• The idea of killing animals for food is abhorrent to many people.许多人想到杀生取食就感到憎恶。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。

11 enlisted   

adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持）

参考例句：

• enlisted men and women 男兵和女兵
• He enlisted with the air force to fight against the enemy. 他应募加入空军对敌作战。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

13 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 memo   

n.照会，备忘录；便笺；通知书；规章

参考例句：

• Do you want me to send the memo out?您要我把这份备忘录分发出去吗？
• Can you type a memo for me?您能帮我打一份备忘录吗？

15 inhuman   

adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的

参考例句：

• We must unite the workers in fighting against inhuman conditions.我们必须使工人们团结起来反对那些难以忍受的工作条件。
• It was inhuman to refuse him permission to see his wife.不容许他去看自己的妻子是太不近人情了。

16 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。