Rumsfeld Offers 'Deepest Apology' to Iraqi Abuse Victims

Alex Belida

Defense¹ Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has apologized to Iraqi prisoners abused by U.S. soldiers and accepted full responsibility for the scandal surrounding the mistreatment.

Mr. Rumsfeld tells Congress he feels terrible about the cases of abuse that have generated worldwide controversy². He says he accepts full responsibility.

"These events occurred on my watch. As secretary of defense, I am accountable for them and I take full responsibility."

Mr. Rumsfeld says the Pentagon is exploring possible compensation for the victims. In the meantime, he says he has ordered formation of a special independent commission to investigate actions taken by defense officials. He also apologized to the Iraqi prisoners who have been mistreated.

"To those Iraqis who were mistreated by members of the U.S. armed forces, I offer my deepest apology."

Defense officials say they learned of the incidents of abuse in January and immediately launched investigations³. But public outcry only erupted recently after photos of the abuse emerged, many of them showing the sexual humiliation⁴ of prisoners.

Mr. Rumsfeld says he made a mistake in not alerting the president and Congress to the volatile⁵ nature of the abuses earlier.

"I failed to recognize how important it was to elevate a matter of such gravity to the highest levels, including the president and members of Congress...I wish we had known more sooner and been able to tell you more sooner."

Mr. Rumsfeld reveals there are more photos and even videos that have not yet reached the news media.

"Beyond abuse of prisoners, there are other photos that depict⁶ incidents of physical violence towards prisoners, acts that can only be described as blatantly⁷ sadistic⁸, cruel and inhuman⁹."

Members of Congress have voiced outrage¹⁰ over the abuse cases. Some say the incidents have endangered the lives of American soldiers in Iraq while tarnishing¹² the United States' image. Others have decried¹³ what they see as an apparent breakdown¹⁴ in military leadership.

Senator Robert Byrd, a Democrat¹⁵, blasted the Bush administration for allegedly trying to shirk responsibility.

"I see arrogance¹⁶ and a disdain¹⁷ for Congress. I see a misplaced bravado¹⁸ and an unwillingness¹⁹ to admit mistakes."

There have been calls by some Democratic lawmakers for Mr. Rumsfeld to resign, a call echoed by protesters who briefly²⁰ disrupted Friday's Congressional hearing.

But the defense secretary says he will not quit for purely²¹ political reasons.

"Needless to say, if I felt I could not be effective, I'd resign in a minute. I would not resign simply because people try to make a political issue out of it."

President Bush has voiced support for the defense secretary, calling him a valuable member of his cabinet.
注释：
abuse [E5bju:z] v. 侵犯
scandal [5skAndl] n. 丑行，丑闻
mistreatment [mis5tri:tmEnt] n. 虐待
controversy [5kCntrEvE:si] n. 论争，辩论
compensation [kCmpen5seiFEn] n. 补偿，赔偿
commission [kE5miFEn] n. 委员会
sexual humiliation 性侮辱
alert [E5lE:t] v. 提醒，警告
volatile [5vClEtail] adj. 可变的，不稳定的
elevate [5eliveit] vt. 提高，提升
gravity [5^rAviti] n. 重力
reveal [ri5vi:l] vt. 显示，揭示
depict [di5pikt] vt. 描述，描写
blatantly [5bleitEntli] adv. 炫耀地
sadistic [sE5dIstIk] adj. 虐待狂的，残酷成性的
inhuman [in5hju:mEn] adj. 野蛮的
outrage [5autreidV] n. 愤怒
tarnish¹¹ [5tB:niF] v. 失去光泽
breakdown [5breikdaun] n. 衰弱
blast [5blB:stid] v. 严厉批评，谴责
allegedly [E5ledVIdlI] adv. 据称
shirk [FE:k] vt. 逃避
arrogance [5ArE^Ens] n. 傲慢态度，自大
disdain [dis5dein] n. 轻蔑，以高傲的态度对待
bravado [brE5vB:dEu] n. 虚张声势
quit [kwit] vi. 辞职
resign [ri'zain] v. 辞去, 辞职

 

1 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。

2 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

3 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

4 humiliation   

n.羞辱

参考例句：

• He suffered the humiliation of being forced to ask for his cards.他蒙受了被迫要求辞职的羞辱。
• He will wish to revenge his humiliation in last Season's Final.他会为在上个季度的决赛中所受的耻辱而报复的。

5 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

6 depict   

vt.描画，描绘；描写，描述

参考例句：

• I don't care to see plays or films that depict murders or violence.我不喜欢看描写谋杀或暴力的戏剧或电影。
• Children's books often depict farmyard animals as gentle,lovable creatures.儿童图书常常把农场的动物描写得温和而可爱。

7 blatantly   

ad.公开地

参考例句：

• Safety guidelines had been blatantly ignored. 安全规章被公然置之不顾。
• They walked grandly through the lobby, blatantly arm in arm, pretending they were not defeated. 他们大大方方地穿过门厅，故意炫耀地挎着胳膊，假装他们没有被打败。

8 sadistic   

adj.虐待狂的

参考例句：

• There was a sadistic streak in him.他有虐待狂的倾向。
• The prisoners rioted against mistreatment by sadistic guards.囚犯因不堪忍受狱警施虐而发动了暴乱。

9 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。

10 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

11 tarnish   

n.晦暗，污点；vt.使失去光泽；玷污

参考例句：

• The affair could tarnish the reputation of the prime minister.这一事件可能有损首相的名誉。
• Stainless steel products won't tarnish.不锈钢产品不会失去光泽。

12 tarnishing   

（印花）白地沾色

参考例句：

• The causes of tarnishing gold and silver-plated connectors were studied respectively. 分别探讨了接插件镀金和镀银层变色的原因。
• Bright tin electrodeposits on copper wire are susceptible to tarnishing. 铜线材经光亮镀锡后易产生腐蚀变色。

13 decried   

v.公开反对，谴责( decry的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The measures were decried as useless. 这些措施受到指责，说是不起作用。
• The old poet decried the mediocrity of today's writing. 老诗人抨击了现代文体的平庸无奇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

15 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

16 arrogance   

n.傲慢，自大

参考例句：

• His arrogance comes out in every speech he makes.他每次讲话都表现得骄傲自大。
• Arrogance arrested his progress.骄傲阻碍了他的进步。

17 disdain   

n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑

参考例句：

• Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
• A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。

18 bravado   

n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能

参考例句：

• Their behaviour was just sheer bravado. 他们的行为完全是虚张声势。
• He flourished the weapon in an attempt at bravado. 他挥舞武器意在虚张声势。

19 unwillingness   

n. 不愿意，不情愿

参考例句：

• Her unwillingness to answer questions undermined the strength of her position. 她不愿回答问题，这不利于她所处的形势。
• His apparent unwillingness would disappear if we paid him enough. 如果我们付足了钱，他露出的那副不乐意的神情就会消失。

20 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

21 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。