voa标准英语2008年-US Forces Kill 19 Militants in Eastern Afghanis

The U.S. military in Afghanistan says troops conducting several raids targeting al-Qaida, Taliban and Haqqani militant¹ networks have killed 19 fighters. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from neighboring Pakistan that there are also news reports that the head of British special forces in Afghanistan has resigned after complaining of a lack of equipment.
　

U.S. soldiers of the Third Platoon Delta2 Company 1-26 stand guard during a patrol in Narang district near Pakistani border in Kunar province eastern Afghanistan, 01 Nov 2008

The U.S. military has been engaged in heavy fighting in eastern Afghanistan for months against groups of Afghan and Pakistani militants³ as well as foreign fighters.

Lieutenant⁴ Commander Walter Matthews says one of Friday's raids targeted a compound of an al-Qaida leader.

"In Dara Noor District, coalition⁵ forces targeted a known al-Qaida leader, believed to facilitate the movement of foreign fighters and weapons into Kunar province," he said. "The al-Qaida leader is also believed to be in contact with other militants in the region, coordinating⁶ attacks against coalition forces and innocent civilians⁷."

The military did not say if the leader was killed during the raid, but said troops killed one armed woman during the operation.

Local officials say they are looking into reports that some civilians were killed during the operation.

Other operations targeted the so-called Haqqani network, a group of militants led by Jalauddin Haqqani, a long-time Afghan guerrilla commander who U.S. officials have alleged⁸ has ties to al-Qaida militants and Pakistani intelligence agents.

Meanwhile, a British newspaper says the head of the country's elite⁹ special forces in Afghanistan has abruptly¹⁰ resigned because of a lack of armored vehicles for his troops.

The Daily Telegraph reported Major Sebastian Morely claimed The British Defense¹¹ Ministry¹² ignored his warnings that the military's lightly armored "Snatch Land Rovers" are too vulnerable for the Afghan mission. The major blamed the deaths of four troops on what he called the ministry's "chronic¹³ underinvestment."

The Defense Ministry responded that officials are focused on providing vehicles to protect troops from "ever-shifting threats posed by the enemy."

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

3 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。

4 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

5 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。

6 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

9 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。

10 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

11 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

12 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。

13 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。