2007年VOA标准英语-Protecting America from Terrorism

By Gary Thomas
Washington, D.C.
07 May 2007

Before the attacks of September 11, 2001, U.S. counterterrorist efforts were meager¹ compared with those of today, and largely confined to a small cadre of specialists deep inside the intelligence community.  Now many government agencies are involved in some aspect of counterterrorism.

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Retired Vice Admiral John Scott Redd, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center

In a nondescript, unmarked building in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. sits the heart of U.S. counterterrorism -- the National Counterterrorism Center.  From this heart, arteries⁴ extend far out to agencies across the U.S. government to pump out and take in the lifeblood of the counterterrorism effort -- information.

Genesis of the N.C.T.C.

The N.C.T.C. was created by President Bush in 2004 as a direct outgrowth of the 9/11 attacks.  Several investigations⁵ and commissions all pointed⁶ out that the terrorists who attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were able to evade⁷ detection in part because agencies in the secretive intelligence world, protective of their turf and their sources, were not sharing enough information.

In an interview in his office, Scott Redd, the retired admiral whom President Bush chose to head the center, says the Counterterrorism Center exists to ensure that information flows freely, and that analysts⁸ tracking terrorism have access to the widest intelligence possible.

"What N.C.T.C. does, which is unique, is we bring together all elements of foreign and domestic intelligence relating to the terrorism threat. So by law, any intelligence information relating to terrorism, whether it's foreign or domestic, comes in here," says Redd. "Our job is to make sure that a) people are talking to each other and b) that it is all integrated.  We do that in a number of ways.  Clearly information-sharing is one of our big jobs."

Inside the N.C.T.C.

In N.C.T.C.'s high-tech⁹ operations center, intelligence analysts of other federal agencies like the C.I.A., F.B.I., Defense¹⁰ Intelligence Agency, and Department of Homeland Security, sit side by side, each in front of several computer screens to connect to their home agency databases.  Large plasma¹¹ screens line the walls monitoring different activities, like air traffic and overhead imagery from satellites.  The Counterterrorism Center also has its own highly classified, secure web site where information is pooled.

President Bush at the National Counterterrorism Center in August 2006

Some information is collected by America's foreign intelligence agencies, such as the C.I.A. or the National Security Agency.  Other intelligence comes from domestic sources, like Homeland Security and its sub-agencies, and the F.B.I.

Coordinating¹² U.S. Intelligence

The Counterterrorism Center is unique in that about 95 percent of the people who work there are not actually N.C.T.C. employees.  They are analysts sent by their home agency on temporary assignment to the center. 

John Brennan, former head of the C.I.A.'s own counterterrorism center, says the advent¹³ of the N.C.T.C. does not mean the death knell¹⁴ for the individual counterterrorism centers in intelligence agencies. "It's not an attempt at all to diminish the capabilities¹⁵ of the C.I.A. or the Defense Intelligence Agency or others.  The N.C.T.C. is designed, though, to bring together and pool those resources where it makes sense to bring them together."

The N.C.T.C. does not engage in counterterrorism operations; those are left to agencies like the C.I.A.  The likes of Jack¹⁶ Bauer, the fictional¹⁷ counterterrorism agent seen on the American TV series "24," does not reside at the N.C.T.C.   But as Admiral Redd says, the center does draw up a strategic government-wide counterterrorism plan, which includes specific operational tasks for each agency.

"We don't do operations, we don't direct the execution of operations.  And we also don't collect intelligence here; that's collected by all the other agencies, that comes in here,” says Redd. “We are responsible, however, for the strategic operational planning, for making sure that the plan, once we've developed the plan which we have done and was done about a year ago for the first time in the history of our country, that the plan is being implemented¹⁸, and that the plan is ultimately being successful, in other words, assessing it."

Assessing U.S. Counterterror Efforts

There is widespread agreement among independent analysts that the intelligence lapses¹⁹ of 9/11 clearly underscored the need for better cooperation and information sharing among agencies.  But there is concern in some quarters about the possibility of too much centralization or adding more bureaucracy. 

Bill Nolte, former deputy assistant director for analysis at the C.I.A., says cooperation is of course necessary, but agencies still must maintain their unique character and mission. "Any time that you deploy²⁰ resources and say 'our folks have been too scattered,' you run the risk that you will overreact and overconcentrate them.  I think that's one of the dangers of this whole post 9/11 situation -- that you'll go from an intelligence community that was insufficiently²¹ integrated to one that is too centralized," says Nolte.

There has been no successful terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9-11, and many independent analysts credit that at least in part to the N.C.T.C.  But as intelligence officers often say, to succeed in their task, counterterrorism officials have to be lucky 100 percent of the time.  But the terrorists only have to be lucky once.

Next time on Focus, we'll look at the personnel challenges facing U.S. counterterrorism and intelligence agencies in the post 9/11 era.

1 meager   

adj.缺乏的，不足的，瘦的

参考例句：

• He could not support his family on his meager salary.他靠微薄的工资无法养家。
• The two men and the woman grouped about the fire and began their meager meal.两个男人同一个女人围着火，开始吃起少得可怜的午饭。

2 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。

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 arteries   

n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道

参考例句：

• Even grafting new blood vessels in place of the diseased coronary arteries has been tried. 甚至移植新血管代替不健康的冠状动脉的方法都已经试过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is the place where the three main arteries of West London traffic met. 这就是伦敦西部三条主要交通干线的交汇处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

7 evade   

vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避

参考例句：

• He tried to evade the embarrassing question.他企图回避这令人难堪的问题。
• You are in charge of the job.How could you evade the issue?你是负责人，你怎么能对这个问题不置可否？

8 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。

9 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

10 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。

11 plasma   

n.血浆，细胞质，乳清

参考例句：

• Keep some blood plasma back for the serious cases.留一些血浆给重病号。
• The plasma is the liquid portion of blood that is free of cells .血浆是血液的液体部分，不包含各种细胞。

12 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

13 advent   

n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临

参考例句：

• Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
• The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

14 knell   

n.丧钟声；v.敲丧钟

参考例句：

• That is the death knell of the British Empire.这是不列颠帝国的丧钟。
• At first he thought it was a death knell.起初，他以为是死亡的丧钟敲响了。

15 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

16 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

17 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

18 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

19 lapses   

n.失误，过失( lapse的名词复数 )；小毛病；行为失检；偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 )；陷入；倒退；丧失

参考例句：

• He sometimes lapses from good behavior. 他有时行为失检。 来自辞典例句
• He could forgive attacks of nerves, panic, bad unexplainable actions, all sorts of lapses. 他可以宽恕突然发作的歇斯底里，惊慌失措，恶劣的莫名其妙的动作，各种各样的失误。 来自辞典例句

20 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

21 insufficiently   

adv.不够地，不能胜任地

参考例句：

• Your insurance card is insufficiently stamped. 你的保险卡片未贴足印花。 来自辞典例句
• Many of Britain's people are poorly dressed, badly housed, insufficiently nourished. 许多英国人衣着寒伧，居住简陋，营养不良。 来自互联网