IN THE NEWS - Missing Explosives in Iraq

IN THE NEWS - Missing Explosives in Iraq
By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Saturday, October 30, 2004

This is Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.

On Monday, the United Nations nuclear agency reported that three hundred fifty metric tons of high explosives in Iraq were missing. The materials were kept at a storage center at Al Qaqaa near Baghdad.

United States officials say the explosives may have disappeared before American forces occupied the capital. The International Atomic Energy Agency, however, says American forces failed to secure them after entering Baghdad in early April of last year.

Mohammed ElBaradei is the director general of the U.N. agency. He reported the disappearance¹ to the Security Council on Monday. The New York Times newspaper and C.B.S. television had first reported the story that same day.

Mister ElBaradei said Iraqi officials had informed him in early October that the explosives were missing. They said the material disappeared sometime after American-led coalition² forces took control of Baghdad.

U.N. nuclear inspectors³ had been supervising the explosives because one possible use is to set off a nuclear bomb. The inspectors said the explosives were still at Al Qaqaa during their final visit on March ninth, before they left Iraq. The war began on March twentieth of last year.

 
Graphic⁴ Image
Defense⁵ Department officials say they have evidence of Iraqi military activity at Al Qaqaa before the war began. On Thursday they released a satellite picture. They said it showed two Iraqi trucks parked outside a storage area several days before the war started. American officials say this picture proves that Iraqis were at Al Qaqaa after U.N. inspectors had left the country.

The Defense Department says it is investigating what happened to the missing explosives. American officials have suggested that the explosives were probably removed by Saddam Hussein's forces before the invasion. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said any large effort to steal the material after that would have been discovered.

Officials say more than four hundred thousand tons of ammunition⁶, explosives and other material in Iraq have been seized or destroyed. Still, the missing explosives have become an issue in the race for the presidential election on Tuesday.

Democratic Senator John Kerry says the missing explosives are more evidence that the administration is doing a bad job in Iraq. President Bush accused his opponent of making "wild accusations⁷" before the facts are known.

Adding to the dispute was a report broadcast Thursday by A.B.C. television. It showed images made by a news crew traveling with the first American troops to arrive at Al Qaqaa. That was on April eighteenth of last year, nine days after the fall of Baghdad and Saddam Hussein.

The pictures showed what appeared to be high explosives in containers with the markings of the I.A.E.A. There is disagreement, however, if these were the same containers that held the explosives that are now missing.

In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Steve Ember.

1 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

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 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

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。