2006年VOA标准英语-Rumsfeld Rejects Calls to Close Detention

By Barbara Schoetzau
New York
17 February 2006

Donald H. Rumsfeld   
  
U.S. Secretary of Defense¹ Donald Rumsfeld says those who call for the closure the detention² center at the U.S. Naval³ Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are just flat wrong.

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Mr. Rumsfeld says the Guantanamo Bay detention Center is being run as well as possible and any allegations of torture or abuse of prisoners are being handled through appropriate military procedures.  Almost 500 prisoners in the war on terror have been held without trial at the base.  

Rumsfeld says calls to close the center by critics and some human rights groups are unrealistic and would open the gates to terrorists. He says at least 15 prisoners who have been released have returned to the battlefield where they have been killed or captured.  He also disagreed with the remark by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan that the United States will have to close the center "sooner or later."

"We have several hundred terrorists, bad people.  If they went back out on the field they would try to kill Americans," said Mr. Rumsfeld.  "That is just a fact. To close that place and pretend that there is no problem just is not realistic. Second, he has never been to Guantanamo Bay."

Speaking Thursday, after the UN's Human Rights Commission called for the closing of the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Mr. Annan said he believed the prison should be closed as soon as possible.  The report accused the United States of torture and violating the right to fair trial.

The European parliament has also voted in favor of a resolution urging closure of the prison and fair trials for the detainees.

Sign at entrance of Camp Delta⁴ in Guantanamo Bay  
  
The UN human rights experts were given permission to go to Guantanamo Bay, but turned down the offer because they were told they would not be allowed to interview the detainees.

Rumsfeld says only the International Committee of the Red Cross can interview the detainees. The Red Cross interviews detainees on an ongoing⁵ basis, but keeps its reports confidential⁶. Human rights activists⁷ continue to push for an independent probe of the detention center that will release a public report.

Rumsfeld says there have already been a dozen investigations⁸ of the center since allegations of abuse emerged.

"I think that it has been examined, officers have been punished, enlisted⁹ personnel have been punished," he added.  "Some things were done, mistreatment of detainees, which never should have happened. It is a terrible thing that it did. But no, I do not think it would serve our purpose, anyone's purpose to have still one more, instead of 14 have 15 investigations of this and rehash all of this. I think it is harmful to the country. I think it does not serve any purpose."

Rumsfeld made his comments Friday during a discussion with the influential¹⁰ Council on Foreign Relations, a private New York group.

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 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。

3 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

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 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

6 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 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。

9 enlisted   

adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持）

参考例句：

• enlisted men and women 男兵和女兵
• He enlisted with the air force to fight against the enemy. 他应募加入空军对敌作战。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。