VOA标准英语2008年-Rice Urges Pakistan to Clamp Down on Militants

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is calling on Pakistan to intensify¹ efforts to combat Taliban militants² who use its border areas to launch attacks against Afghanistan. Speaking to reporters in the western Australian city of Perth Friday, Rice said the militants cannot be allowed to organize and plan their attacks from the northwest frontier area, despite its difficult terrain³. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has suggested that a surge in violence by the Taliban in Afghanistan had its roots in the lawless tribal⁴ areas along the border with Pakistan.

The authorities in Islamabad were urged to do more to bring the region under its control.

Rice insists that despite the hostile terrain, the Pakistanis must do more.

"There's an uptick in terrorism, not just against forces but against the Afghan people and in that regard everybody needs to do more but Pakistan does need to do more. That border, we understand that it's difficult, we understand that the northwest frontier area is difficult but militants cannot be allowed to organise⁵ there and to plan there and to engage across the border and so more needs to be done."

This blunt message to Islamabad comes just a few days before Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is to meet U.S. President George Bush in Washington.

The Pakistani government has said it will not allow its soil to be used by extremists or for them to launch attacks into neighbouring Afghanistan. It has also resisted suggestions that American or other foreign troops should be deployed⁶ in the region to combat the Taliban.

On an 18-hour stopover in Western Australia, Condoleezza Rice received strong support from her Australian counterpart.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says the international community should redouble its efforts in Afghanistan.

"It is an issue that has regional and international community consequences," Smith said. "There is no doubt that the current international hotbed of terrorism is in that area, is in the Pakistan border area in Afghanistan. So, we have raised the border issue with the Pakistan government as we have with our ally the United States and other friends in Afghanistan in particular the British."

U.S. Secretary of State Rice also said in Perth that there was still time for the Israelis and Palestinians to reach a peace deal by the end of this year ahead of trilateral talks in Washington next week between both sides and American mediators.

 

1 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

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 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

4 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。

5 organise   

vt.组织，安排，筹办

参考例句：

• He has the ability to organise.他很有组织才能。
• It's my job to organise all the ceremonial events.由我来组织所有的仪式。

6 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。