2007年VOA标准英语-Iraqi Government says US Security Firm Suspende

By Jim Randle
Baghdad
19 September 2007

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says the company that provides bodyguards¹ to U.S. diplomats² in Iraq has been suspended while the government investigates a deadly shooting incident involving the firm last Sunday.  The government said earlier it was expelling the private security firm.  VOA's Jim Randle reports from Baghdad.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says his country will not tolerate the cold-blooded killing³ of its citizens.

Iraq's Interior Ministry⁴ has suspended the license⁵ of security company Blackwater, and has said it is reviewing all security companies working in the country.

Mr. Maliki says Sunday's shooting is the seventh troubling incident involving Blackwater, which provides armed escorts for U.S. government civilian⁶ employees in Iraq.

A U.S. embassy official, Mirembe Natongo, has urged journalists and others to wait until an investigation⁷ is complete before drawing conclusions. 

"Both the Iraqi government and the American government are working closely in this incident, and also to address the security companies that work in Iraq.  Again the United States expresses its deep condolences, for the casualties," Natongo said.

Iraqi officials have said at least 11 people died after Blackwater guards began shooting in a busy part of Baghdad. 

A news report in The New York Times says a preliminary Interior Ministry investigation found Blackwater guards fired at a car that ignored a police order to stop, killing two adults and an infant.

The company has a different version of events, saying there was an attack on the convoy⁸ it was protecting and Blackwater guards responded in a lawful⁹ and appropriate fashion. 

Meanwhile, U.S. diplomats and civilian officials are not supposed to travel by land out of Baghdad's heavily fortified¹⁰ Green Zone.  Natongo says the travel restrictions¹¹ are hurting some U.S. programs and will be reviewed frequently to see if they are still necessary.

In other news, the U.S. military says gunfire killed an American soldier Tuesday in southern Baghdad.

The military says coalition¹² forces killed one Iraqi terrorist linked to Iran's elite¹³ Quds force and detained seven suspects Wednesday in northern Baghdad and in Balad Ruz, northeast of the capital.  It also says Iraqi soldiers and U.S. special forces killed an al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist and detained 18 others in northern Iraq on Monday and Tuesday.

1 bodyguards   

n.保镖，卫士，警卫员( bodyguard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks came to Jim's office accompanied—like always—by his two bodyguards. 和往常一样，在两名保镖的陪同下，布鲁克斯去吉姆的办公室。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Three of his bodyguards were injured in the attack. 在这次袭击事件中，他有3名保镖受了伤。 来自辞典例句

2 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 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。

5 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

9 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。

10 fortified   

adj. 加强的

参考例句：

• He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
• The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。

11 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

12 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

13 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。