VOA标准英语2008年-US Planes Attack Insurgents Near Baghdad

By Deborah Block
Baghdad
10 January 2008

U.S. bombers¹ and fighters have launched a massive air assault on what are being described as al-Qaida in Iraq safehouses on the southern outskirts² of Baghdad. VOA's Deborah Block has the story from the Iraqi capital.

During the 10-minute bombardment, 18,000 kilograms of explosives were dropped on 40 targets described as terrorist safehouses in the Arab Jabour area south of Baghdad.

In a statement, the U.S. military said the amount of explosives used in the attack was one of the largest since the war began in 2003. The attack is part of an ongoing³ operation against al-Qaida in Iraq insurgents⁵ that has been launched by U.S. and Iraqi forces.

U.S. commanders say the insurgents have been mostly pushed out of Baghdad and western Anbar province, but are now entrenched⁶ in other parts of the country, including volatile⁷ Diyala province, just north of Baghdad.

On Wednesday nine American soldiers were killed as part of a new security operation that was launched this week. Six died in an explosion as they entered a booby-trapped house.

 

Major General Mark Hertling, commander of the coalition⁸ forces in northern Iraq, said 20 to 30 al-Qaida in Iraq fighters were killed in Diyala during the first two days.

"And as the Iraqi army gets stronger and the Iraqi police stand up, there is no place for these folks to go," said General Hertling.

 

He said the militants⁹ in Diyala were likely to move their operations elsewhere as the troops advanced but would eventually be pinned down.

 

"We're tracking some of the leaders," he said. "And we're also tracking where some of the leaders have gone. We're continuing to pursue [them]."

U.S. commanders say an increase in the number of volunteer security patrols, known as concerned local citizens, has also put the insurgents on the defensive¹⁰. These thousands of volunteers across Iraq are actually paid a small salary by the United States to guard their neighborhoods. The American military says they have helped reduce the number of insurgent⁴ attacks by more than half since June.

1 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

3 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

4 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

5 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

6 entrenched   

adj.确立的，不容易改的(风俗习惯)

参考例句：

• Television seems to be firmly entrenched as the number one medium for national advertising.电视看来要在全国广告媒介中牢固地占据头等位置。
• If the enemy dares to attack us in these entrenched positions,we will make short work of them.如果敌人胆敢进攻我们固守的阵地，我们就消灭他们。

7 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

8 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。

9 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

10 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。