VOA标准英语2009-Parliamentary Group Clears British Intelligence

Britain's Intelligence and Security Committee has released its findings into what the country's domestic intelligence service knew about the suicide bombers² before they struck in London on the 7th of July 2005, killing³ 52 people. Many families of what is known as the 7/7 victims want to know why the security services did not move in and prevent the deadly attacks from taking place.

A report by a group of British politicians has cleared the country's domestic intelligence service and police of failings over the London suicide attacks that took place nearly four years ago.

But the findings of the parliamentary committee will satisfy few of the critics who point out that the ringleader of the suicide cell, Mohammad Sidique Khan, had been photographed by British intelligence four years before he struck.
　
Mohammad Sidique Khan, one of the four London suicide bomber¹ suspects, standing⁴ at the immigration counter at the Karachi airport in Pakistan, 19 Nov 2004

In its report, the lawmakers also say Kahn and one of the members in his cell Shehzad Tanweer were watched, photographed and recorded by intelligence in 2004, just a year before the deadly attacks took place.

Graham Foulkes is the father of one of the victims who died in the coordinated⁵ blasts in what was the worst- ever peacetime attack in the capital.

"This report today is written by the same people who wrote the first one which was widely discredited⁶ so how they think they can then come back with any credibility to write a second report is beyond belief," he said.

One of the lawmakers on the parliamentary committee, Michael Mates, says despite intelligence operatives having observed two of the four bombers, he says he believes the attacks on three subway cars and a bus could not be prevented.

"We do not believe it could have been prevented given the resources we had and given the intelligence that the security services had available to them," said Mates.

The report concludes Khan and Tanweer were not considered by British intelligence to be essential targets to follow more closely at the time as they were thought to have been peripheral⁷ players in a different plot being studied, namely a possible fertilizer bombing attack against a shopping center and nightclub. Mates says the security service simply lacked the manpower to follow up every lead.

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Those judgments⁹ were taken at the time and having gone into all the details we cannot find any reason to criticize the judgment⁸ they took at that time about those two," he added.

Campaigners want nothing less than a full independent public inquiry¹⁰ into why the security service and police acted as they did.

The Labor¹¹ government first under Tony Blair and now under Gordon Brown has repeated ruled out such a probe. The government line is it would sidetrack intelligence gathering¹² at a time when Britain is at serious risk of a terrorist attack.

1 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

2 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》

3 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。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 discredited   

不足信的，不名誉的

参考例句：

• The reactionary authorities are between two fires and have been discredited. 反动当局弄得进退维谷，不得人心。
• Her honour was discredited in the newspapers. 她的名声被报纸败坏了。

7 peripheral   

adj.周边的，外围的

参考例句：

• We dealt with the peripheral aspects of a cost reduction program.我们谈到了降低成本计划的一些外围问题。
• The hotel provides the clerk the service and the peripheral traveling consultation.旅舍提供票务服务和周边旅游咨询。

8 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

9 judgments   

判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判

参考例句：

• A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
• He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。

10 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

11 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

12 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。