VOA标准英语2012--Police Mistrust Threatens US-Afghan Alliance in Key Town

Police Mistrust Threatens US-Afghan Alliance in Key Town

The Marzak strategy hinged on setting up a new, tribe-based local police force capable of defending the town against Taliban fighters. After two weeks of training, the first 50 police began duty. 

That's when actions by one rebellious¹ police officer threatened the entire coalition² strategy.

As the first batch³ of Afghan local police (ALP) prepared to graduate in late January, U.S. Army Capt. Jim Perkins received disturbing news from Marzak's elders. 

"This morning one of the members of the ALP decided⁴ he wanted to go out on patrol and round up people he said were Taliban. What we suspect was he had personal vendettas⁵ and issues that he had against people," said Perkins. 

Local elders said an Afghan squad⁶ leader named Mohamad Aman made false accusations⁷ and he was not even authorized⁸ to make arrests on his own. The elders threatened to withdraw their support. 

Coalition troops have struggled for years to train local security forces that the local population trusts. One local police officer says he saw signs of trouble coming.

"There was a dispute between Mohamad Aman and another village commander," Noor Salam, a local Afghan police officer, recalled.

Perkins and his Afghan and American sergeants⁹ reacted swiftly. Perkins apologized to elder Mullah Anwar while others seized Mohamad Aman's weapon. 

Perkins told Aman he was fired and the remaining police officers graduated as planned. But the trouble was not over.

That night, 10 officers loyal to Aman said they would quit unless Perkins reinstated Aman. They reached a compromise. Perkins arranged a job for Aman in another town, and the 10 officers agreed to remain on duty.

Perkins says the coalition sometimes recruits police by appealing to their tribal¹⁰ loyalties¹¹. But the strategy can backfire. 

"If you played on those [tribal loyalties] too much, then you start running the risk of developing tribal warfare¹² or inflamming those tensions," Perkins noted¹³. "So what we try to do is diffuse¹⁴ those tensions."

The situation in Marzak was not an isolated¹⁵ incident.

Rights groups in Afghanistan have harshly criticized local tribal police for abuses, including rape¹⁶ and murder. But tribal forces still play a key role in the coalition's Afghanistan endgame and U.S. commanders say they continue to monitor them closely. 

1 rebellious   

adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的

参考例句：

• They will be in danger if they are rebellious.如果他们造反，他们就要发生危险。
• Her reply was mild enough,but her thoughts were rebellious.她的回答虽然很温和，但她的心里十分反感。

2 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。

3 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 vendettas   

n.家族世仇( vendetta的名词复数 )；族间仇杀；长期争斗；积怨

参考例句：

• I'm not getting involved in your personal vendettas. 我没有牵扯到你们的私人恩怨里。 来自互联网

6 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

7 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

8 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

9 sergeants   

警官( sergeant的名词复数 )； （美国警察）警佐； （英国警察）巡佐； 陆军（或空军）中士

参考例句：

• Platoon sergeants fell their men in on the barrack square. 排长们在营房广场上整顿队伍。
• The recruits were soon licked into shape by the drill sergeants. 新兵不久便被教育班长训练得象样了。

10 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。

11 loyalties   

n.忠诚( loyalty的名词复数 )；忠心；忠于…感情；要忠于…的强烈感情

参考例句：

• an intricate network of loyalties and relationships 忠诚与义气构成的盘根错节的网络
• Rows with one's in-laws often create divided loyalties. 与姻亲之间的矛盾常常让人两面为难。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

13 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

14 diffuse   

v.扩散；传播；adj.冗长的；四散的，弥漫的

参考例句：

• Direct light is better for reading than diffuse light.直射光比漫射光更有利于阅读。
• His talk was so diffuse that I missed his point.他的谈话漫无边际，我抓不住他的要点。

15 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

16 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。