2006年VOA标准英语-UN Experts Call for Guantanamo Closure

By Peter Heinlein
United Nations
16 February 2006

U.N. human rights investigators¹ are calling for the immediate² closure of the U.S. detention³ camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.   

Sign at entrance of Camp Delta⁴  
  
Five U.N. human rights experts say the treatment of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay facility in some cases constitutes torture.

In a report released in Geneva, the U.N. investigators say harsh conditions, including solitary⁵ confinement⁶, stripping detainees naked, subjecting them to severe temperatures and force-feeding hunger strikers, violate international law.  The report calls for the United States to bring all the detainees to trial or release them.

In a telephone interview with VOA from London, co-author of the report Paul Hunt said the facility should be closed immediately.

"There are a large number of people subject to arbitrary detention in Guantanamo Bay, and they have been there for some years," he said. "In accordance with international human rights law, they should be allowed to challenge the lawfulness⁷ of their detention before an independent judicial⁸ body.  The report also expresses concern about the treatment - not all, but some of the treatment - that detainees have been subjected to.  We conclude by recommending that Guantanamo Bay [be] closed; that the detainees should be subject to trial and if not, they should be released."

The U.S. ambassador to U.N. offices in Geneva, Kevin Moley, objected to the experts' conclusions.  In a letter attached as an annex⁹ to the report, Moley said the findings had been based only on selective factual assertions that support the conclusions, while ignoring facts that could undermine them.  He called the report "largely without merit and not based clearly on the facts."

In photo reviewed by US military, detainee spends time outside his cell at Camp Delta Four, Guantanamo   
  
White House spokesman Scott McClellan says the report appears to be a rehash of allegations made by lawyers for some of the detainees.  The spokesman noted¹⁰ that the International Committee of the Red Cross has had full access to the Guantanmo facility, and added "we know that al-Qaida detainees are trained in trying to disseminate¹¹ false allegations."

"The United Nations should be making serious investigations¹² across the world, and there are many instances in which they do when it comes to human rights," he said. "This was not one of them. And I think it's a discredit¹³ to the UN when a team like this goes about rushing to report something when they haven't even looked into the facts. All they have done is look at the allegations."

U.N. investigators did not visit the facility at Guantanamo Bay, saying they rejected an invitation because they would not have had unrestricted access to detainees.

About 490 prisoners are being held at Guantanamo on suspicion of links to al-Qaida or the Taleban. 

1 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

4 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

5 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

6 confinement   

n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限

参考例句：

• He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
• The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。

7 lawfulness   

法制，合法

参考例句：

• Einstein declared that randomness rather than lawfulness is the characteristic of natural events. 爱因斯坦宣称自然现象的特征为不可测性而不是规律化。 来自辞典例句
• Does the Lawfulness of War Matter? 战争的合法性有关系吗？ 来自互联网

8 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

9 annex   

vt.兼并，吞并；n.附属建筑物

参考例句：

• It plans to annex an England company in order to enlarge the market.它计划兼并一家英国公司以扩大市场。
• The annex has been built on to the main building.主楼配建有附属的建筑物。

10 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。

11 disseminate   

v.散布；传播

参考例句：

• We should disseminate science and promote the scientific spirit.普及科学知识，弘扬科学精神。
• We sincerely welcome all countries to disseminate their languages in China.我们真诚地欢迎世界各国来华推广本国语言。

12 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。

13 discredit   

vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑

参考例句：

• Their behaviour has bought discredit on English football.他们的行为败坏了英国足球运动的声誉。
• They no longer try to discredit the technology itself.他们不再试图怀疑这种技术本身。