美洲—911过去四年，美国是否更安全了？

Is America Safer Four Years after September 11th?

911过去四年，美国是否更安全了？

 

In last year’s national radio address marking the third anniversary of the September 11th attacks, President Bush assured Americans that pursuing the war on terror would make the country more secure.

 

Bush: The United States of America is determined¹ to guard our homeland against future attacks. Our country is safer than we were three years ago, but we are not yet safe.

 

The U.S. Homeland May be Safer

 

As Americans prepare to reflect on the fourth anniversary of the most devastating² terrorist attack on U.S. soil, many continue to ask: ‘Are we safer?’ Security analyst³ Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution says close to home, (the answer is) yes.

 

Michael O'Hanlon: I think on balance, we are safer against a September 11th-like spectacular attack. The ability of al-Qaida to carry out that kind of major casualty attack has probably diminished. I think al-Qaida is on the run in terms of its old vertical⁴ capacity.

 

University of Texas historian H.W. Brands agrees that the United States is safer for the simple reason that Americans are more alert of the dangers they face.

 

H.W. Brands: I think the major contributor to an increased level of safety is a general awareness⁵ on the part of the American people and governmental institutions. This increased level of vigilance probably makes it more difficult for terrorists to attack the United States than was the case four years ago.

 

But The World is More Dangerous

 

But most analysts⁶ point out that the number of terrorist attacks around the globe has increased. Michael O'Hanlon says that while the United States may be safer, the rest of the world isn't.

 

Michael O'Hanlon: This does not mean that we're winning the long term war on terror because, of course, we have to fear large numbers of jihadists who seem to be as numerous as ever and as deadly as ever in other countries where the truck bomb remains⁷ a frequent tool of use -- not just in Iraq, but also in Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and elsewhere. Not to mention the London attacks this year and the Madrid attacks last year.

 

Mr. O'Hanlon says many of these bombings were carried out by al-Qaida splinter organizations that have created a broad nebulous terrorist movement.

 

Iraq Conflict Changed Tenor⁸ of the War on Terror

 

Most scholars say much of the world community initially⁹ supported the U.S.-led war on terror sparked by the September 11th attacks. Ralf Hoppe is a senior editor of Europe's most widely read political newsmagazine Der Spiegel and co-author of the book: Inside 9-11, What Really Happened. He says much of Europe backed the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that captured or killed much of the al-Qaida leadership.

 

Ralf Hoppe: But the Iraq War had many other possible reasons beside September 11th. People, especially Europeans, maybe they don't understand it fully¹⁰. But they have a feeling that the Iraq War was not only because of September 11th.

 

Most scholars agree that international skepticism over the Iraq War strained relations between the United States and many countries, but they are divided over the impact it has had on American efforts in fighting the war on terror.

 

Retired¹¹ U.S. Army Lieutenant¹² General William Odom is a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute here in Washington. He says the war in Iraq has left the United States more vulnerable.

 

William Odom: I think the United States is in the least safe position it has been in since the World War II. As a result of President Bush's insistence¹³ on going into war in Iraq, our allies chilled relations with us. That has continued ever since. The loss of allies threatens our entire international system, which the United States built up during the Cold War. Our basic system of generating wealth and military power, protecting individual rights and spreading constitutional governments depends on those relationships.

 

General Odom says that without strong allies, the United States will not have the cooperation necessary to fight the war on terror. But the Brookings Institution's Michael O'Hanon says that America has not lost its allies.

 

Michael O'Hanon: I think we need to avoid conflating the disagreement the world has had over Iraq. Countries are practical and they cooperate when they know they are facing a common threat. Most western countries, most moderate Muslim countries and most other countries around the world have a common interest in opposing terror.

 

Mr. O'Hanlon says that common threat was brought to light on September 11th and has been re-enforced by numerous terrorist attacks around the world since then.

 

'Patriot¹⁴ Day'

 

In 2002, President Bush declared the September 11th anniversary as "Patriot Day" -- a day when the nation should remember and honor the thousands who perished in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

 

Historian H.W. Brands of the University of Texas says future generations may view September 11th, 2001 as a major turning point for the United States.

 

H.W. Brands: It will be a day when Americans recognize that we live in a dangerous world and probably always will. It is worthwhile remembering that Pearl Harbor Day was not commemorated¹⁵ in any particularly way until after the United States won the war against Japan. But there is nobody who is going to surrender in a war on terror. I just don't see that kind of commemoration because there is no way we can walk away from September 11th feeling like that was a job well-done, that we have gotten back at those people that attacked us.

 

Professor H.W. Brands adds it will be difficult to ever claim victory in the war on terror. And most analysts agree that while Americans are more vigilant¹⁶ than they were before September 11th, the threat of more attacks, both at home and abroad, remain formidable.

 

For focus, I am Brent Hurd.

 

注释：

spectacular [spek5tAkjulE] adj. 壮观的

on the run 逃跑，被通辑

alert [E5lE:t] adj. 提防的，警惕的

vigilance [5vidVilEns] n. 警惕，警觉

Morocco [mE5rCkEu] n. 摩洛哥

Madrid [mE5drid] n. 马德里（西班牙首都）

splinter [5splintE] n. 分裂，碎片

nebulous [5nebjulEs] adj. 模糊的

skepticism [5skeptisizEm] n. 怀疑主义；怀疑态度

lieutenant [lef5tenEnt] n. 中尉

formidable [5fC:midEbl] adj. 艰难的

1 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

2 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

3 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

4 vertical   

adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置

参考例句：

• The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
• Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。

5 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 tenor   

n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意

参考例句：

• The tenor of his speech was that war would come.他讲话的大意是战争将要发生。
• The four parts in singing are soprano,alto,tenor and bass.唱歌的四个声部是女高音、女低音、男高音和男低音。

9 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

10 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

11 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

12 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

13 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

14 patriot   

n.爱国者，爱国主义者

参考例句：

• He avowed himself a patriot.他自称自己是爱国者。
• He is a patriot who has won the admiration of the French already.他是一个已经赢得法国人敬仰的爱国者。

15 commemorated   

v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Lincoln commemorated the soldiers killed in the battle in his address. 林肯在演说中表扬阵亡将士。 来自辞典例句
• You'll be commemorated for killing a spy, and be specially discharged. 你们每杀一个间谍将会被记录到特殊档案。 来自电影对白

16 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。