2006年VOA标准英语-US Officials Defend Monitoring of Financial Dat

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
23 June 2006

U.S. officials say a program to track, potentially, tens-of-thousands of financial transactions is an important part of anti-terrorist efforts carried out since the September 11, 2001, al-Qaida attacks in the United States.  There has been some congressional reaction to disclosure of the previously¹ secret program.

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After media reports detailed² the existence of the program, approved by President Bush in the aftermath of the 2001 attacks, the White House and Bush administration officials came out strongly in defense³ of it.

Treasury⁴ Secretary John Snow says the examination of international banking⁵ transactions and other records has been a vital part of preventing new terrorism.

Treasury Secretary John Snow  
  
"We have never denied it.  In fact, beyond that, we have been open in making it clear that we do this," he said.  "And it is the responsible and right thing to do it.  We need to use lawful⁶ and legal tools available to us, given by Congress, to protect the citizens of our country."

U.S. officials say the program has been limited in scope, confined to tracing transactions of people suspected of having ties to al-Qaida or their associates.

It involves records from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication⁷ (SWIFT), a Brussels-based banking consortium, which, according to the Treasury Department, provided access to CIA and FBI officials and others to examine potential terrorist-related transactions.

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez also defended the program, calling it legal.

At the White House, presidential spokesman Tony Snow ran down a list of descriptions of the program in media reports, and insisted the effort is a critical part of the war on terrorism.

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow   
  
"The program is a significant departure from typical practice," he said.  "Well, so was September 11.  And I think, everybody acknowledges that, in the wake of September 11, it became necessary to try to use every means at our disposal to try to figure out what terrorists were doing, and to try to track them down and to stop their activities."

While officials have been quick to defend the financial monitoring program, they also have expressed dismay that its existence was revealed by the media, saying this could hurt anti-terrorist efforts.

White House spokesman Snow told reporters Friday the program can be credited with helping⁸ to apprehend⁹ a key participant in the terrorist bombings in Bali, Indonesia.

Since 2001, members of Congress have been supportive of Bush administration efforts to eliminate sources of funding for terrorists.

However, Massachusetts Democrat¹⁰ Ed Markey questions how extensively the administration briefed lawmakers, and he asserts the data monitoring program violates Americans' constitutional rights.

"If the administration wants to fight terrorism legally, then it should ask for the authority it needs, and then follow the law that Congress passes, and appear before the courts of the U.S. to justify¹¹ infringement¹² into thousands or potentially millions of American's financial records," he said.  

Another program President Bush approved in the aftermath of the September 2001 terrorist attacks to monitor domestic telephone conversations without first obtaining a warrant, has been subject to similar criticisms.

Congressman Markey says, while the Bush administration may have notified lawmakers' congressional intelligence committees, it remains to be seen if panels dealing with homeland security were included in briefings on the financial data monitoring effort

1 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

2 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

3 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。

4 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

5 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

6 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。

7 telecommunication   

n.电信，远距离通信

参考例句：

• Telecommunication is an industry of service.电信业是一个服务型的行业。
• I only care about the telecommunication quality and the charge.我只关心通信质量和资费两个方面。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 apprehend   

vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑

参考例句：

• I apprehend no worsening of the situation.我不担心局势会恶化。
• Police have not apprehended her killer.警察还未抓获谋杀她的凶手。

10 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。

11 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

12 infringement   

n.违反；侵权

参考例句：

• Infringement of this regulation would automatically rule you out of the championship.违背这一规则会被自动取消参加锦标赛的资格。
• The committee ruled that the US ban constituted an infringement of free trade.委员会裁定美国的禁令对自由贸易构成了侵犯