VOA标准英语2009-Guantanamo Military Tribunals to Resume

The Obama administration will restart military-run trials for some terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The tribunals will include new legal protections for the detainees.
　
US President Barack Obama (file photo)

President Barack Obama issued a statement Friday, saying military commissions are appropriate for trying enemies who violate the laws of war, if they are properly structured and administered.

Mr. Obama says the rules governing the commissions will be changed to give the suspects greater legal protection. Statements obtained from the detainees using cruel, inhuman¹ and degrading interrogation techniques will no longer be admitted as evidence. Defendants² will have greater choice in selecting their counsel. The use of information heard through another person will be limited. And the president says there will be basic protections for those who refuse to testify.

Mr. Obama criticized the Bush-era system as a failure during the 2008 campaign. He suspended the trials shortly after taking office in January, but did not rule out restarting them.

Rights groups are highly critical of the president's move. Jonathan Hafetz a national security attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, calls the tribunals a failed experiment, and wants the suspects handed over to civilian³ courts. "I think none of the changes that the Obama administration is proposing will or can make military commissions valid⁴ or can give them the legitimacy⁵ that is necessary when we try individuals who are suspected of terrorist crimes," he said.

Rights advocates are already unhappy over the president's decision Wednesday to block the release of more photographs showing detainee abuse by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs says the president's changes will make the military tribunal system fair and legitimate⁶. "The system that was set up by Congress and signed by then-President Bush will not be the course under which these cases will ultimately be heard," he said.

Gibbs says the new safeguards will prevent a recurrence⁷ of the abuses that took place at Guantanamo during the Bush administration. "One thing that we are not having a debate about is whether these tactics exist, whether they can currently be used by this administration. Because this president took, with one stroke of the pen, the swift action to ensure that these enhanced interrogation techniques are not used by this administration," he said.

President Obama will ask for a 120-day delay in nine pending⁸ cases while the legal system is adjusted.

More than 240 terror suspects are being held at Guantanamo, which Mr. Obama has said he will close by January.

1 inhuman   

adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的

参考例句：

• We must unite the workers in fighting against inhuman conditions.我们必须使工人们团结起来反对那些难以忍受的工作条件。
• It was inhuman to refuse him permission to see his wife.不容许他去看自己的妻子是太不近人情了。

2 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

3 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。

4 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

5 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

6 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

7 recurrence   

n.复发，反复，重现

参考例句：

• More care in the future will prevent recurrence of the mistake.将来的小心可防止错误的重现。
• He was aware of the possibility of a recurrence of his illness.他知道他的病有可能复发。

8 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。