VOA常速英语2007年-Turkey Says US Intelligence Led to Strikes on P

By Margaret Besheer
Washington
19 December 2007

A senior Turkish diplomat¹ says U.S. intelligence shared with Turkey led to recent raids inside northern Iraq against Kurdish rebels from the Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK. From Washington, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

Turkey's Ambassador to Washington, Nabi Şensoy, told reporters Wednesday that about 50 Turkish fighter planes were involved in two waves of air strikes early Sunday morning against PKK targets inside northern Iraq.

"As a result there is heavy damage to the infrastructure² of PKK presence in the Qandil Mountains and in the [PKK] camps along the Turkish border," he said.

Ambassador Sensoy said the success of the attack was due to the intelligence the United States shared with Turkey, but he would not confirm if or when U.S. military officials were informed of the strikes.

The White House said Tuesday the United States continues to share intelligence on the PKK with both Turkey and Iraq. But officials refused comment on reports that U.S. intelligence helped Turkish authorities target the PKK.

Iraq's parliament has condemned³ the attacks. An Iraqi government spokesman called the airstrike "unacceptable" and warned it would lead to "complicated problems." Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq went further, saying the attack was a violation⁴ of Iraqi sovereignty and they accused the U.S. of approving it because it controls Iraq's airspace.

Relations between the United States and Turkey have been strained in recent months over the PKK and other issues, but Ambassador Sensoy says they have improved following Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Washington in early November. He says the intelligence sharing that led to Sunday's raid is the first tangible⁵ result of that renewed cooperation.

 

But the ambassador says this week's raids against the PKK are not likely to be the last.

"It was declared in the past that whatever necessary will be done," he said. "As I said, this is not a once and for all operation, but I think it has served its purpose, because of the fact that all of the targets have been hit with precision - that's what we know at this point. And the ultimate target is the elimination⁶ of the PKK terrorist organization in the north of the country, and Turkey will do whatever is necessary to achieve that."

Ambassador Şensoy says Sunday's raid, and another small incursion on Tuesday, send a strong message to the PKK that the Turkish military is capable of tracking them down wherever they may be.

1 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

2 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

3 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

4 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

5 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

6 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。