VOA标准英语2008年-Afghan President Threatens Raids into Pakistan

By Ayaz Gul
Islamabad
15 June 2008

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has threatened to send troops into neighboring Pakistan to fight militants² that have been launching cross-border attacks in his country. Ayaz Gul reports from Islamabad the two allies in the U.S-led war against terrorism accuse each other of not doing enough to discourage militant¹ activity.
　

Afghan President Hamid Karzai gestures during a press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, 15 June 2008

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai issued the forceful warning to the militants and to the Pakistani government at a news conference in Kabul. He says his country is ready to seek out militant leaders wherever they are.

The Afghan president specifically named Baitullah Mehsud, an al-Qaida-linked self-proclaimed Pakistani Taliban leader who is based in the South Waziristan border region . Mehsud and leaders of other extremist groups in Pakistan have in recent weeks vowed³ to send fighters across the border to help Taliban insurgents⁴ in Afghanistan.

Mr. Karzai says the fact that Pakistani militants cross into his country gives Afghanistan the right to retaliate⁵ and destroy their hideouts across the border.

"This means that Afghanistan has the right of self defense," Mr. Karzai said. "When they cross the territory from Pakistan to come and kill Afghans and kill coalition⁶ troops it exactly gives us the right to go back and do the same. Therefore, Baitullah Mehsud should know that we will go after him now and hit him in house. And we will get them and we will defeat them and we will avenge⁷ all that they have done in Afghanistan in the past so many years."

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is reported as saying the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is too long to prevent people from crossing, even if his country deploys⁸ its entire army there. The Associated Press quotes him as saying that Pakistan does not interfere⁹ in anyone else's matters, and it will not allow anyone to interfere in Pakistan's territorial¹⁰ limits.

Afghan President Karzai's warning came two days after Taliban militants attacked a central jail in the southern city of Kandahar, freeing hundreds of suspected Taliban militants.

Last week, Pakistani officials said a U.S air strike destroyed one of their border security posts, killing¹¹ 11 soldiers. The Pakistani government condemned¹² the attack as an "unprovoked and cowardly" act and demanded a full investigation¹³ into the incident. The United States says its air strike was targeting militants in the area and Pakistan had been informed of the impending¹⁴ strike.

The new Pakistani government has recently launched a peace process in its tribal¹⁵ areas bordering Afghanistan to seek peace deals with militants, including Baitullah Mehsud.

U.S and Afghan officials have criticized the deals, saying they will help militants regroup to increase cross-border attacks. But Pakistan says it is negotiating with only those militants who are willing to give up their arms.

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 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。

3 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

4 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

5 retaliate   

v.报复，反击

参考例句：

• He sought every opportunity to retaliate against his enemy.他找机会向他的敌人反击。
• It is strictly forbidden to retaliate against the quality inspectors.严禁对质量检验人员进行打击报复。

6 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。

7 avenge   

v.为...复仇，为...报仇

参考例句：

• He swore to avenge himself on the mafia.他发誓说要向黑手党报仇。
• He will avenge the people on their oppressor.他将为人民向压迫者报仇。

8 deploys   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的第三人称单数 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• It then deploys "decoy" programs designed to attract the virus. 然后，它释放“诱饵”去吸引病毒。
• But when that doesn't work, he deploys his secret defense mechanism. 但没有效果，它要施展绝密自卫武器了。

9 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

10 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

11 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。

12 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。

13 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。

14 impending   

a.imminent, about to come or happen

参考例句：

• Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时，严重的战乱爆发了。
• The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。

15 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。