VOA标准英语2008年-Afghan Report Says 47 Civilians Died in US Airs

An Afghan government commission says a U.S. airstrike this week that American commanders claimed had targeted militants¹ instead killed 47 civilians³. The reports of civilian² casualties come as American commanders say they are trying to counter the growing threat from insurgents⁴ coming across the Pakistani border. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from Islamabad.

The Afghan government ordered an inquiry⁵ into Sunday's U.S. airstrike after conflicting reports about the attack. Local officials in Nangarhar province said the victims were part of a wedding party and no militants were in the region. U.S. commanders had insisted militants were among the group.

President Hamid Karzai appointed a nine-member government commission to investigate. After traveling to the region, the head of the commission, Senate deputy speaker, Burhanullah Shinwari, tells VOA that the victims were all civilians.

He says that they investigated and found in that area 47 people were killed and nine wounded. He said no militants were present and the victims were mainly women and children who were walking to a wedding party.

U.S. officials say they have not completed their investigation⁶ yet.
　
US Marine⁷ shakes hands with Afghan Border police officer after joint⁸ patrol in town of Garmser, Helmand Province, 11 July 2008

Afghan officials have expressed concern over mounting civilian casualties, as U.S. and NATO forces try to counter a surge in attacks by Taliban forces in recent months.

Militants safe havens¹⁰ in Pakistan have been blamed for contributing to the spike¹¹ in violence that made June the deadliest month for coalition¹² forces since the 2001 invasion.

During a visit to Kabul this week, Admiral Michael Mullen said U.S. officials now believe that Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal¹³ Areas, called FATA, are attracting an increasing number of foreign fighters.

"There are clearly more foreign fighters in the FATA, than have been there in the past, and I wouldn't get into any specifics. But what it really speaks to is that that's a safe haven⁹, that's got to be eliminated for all insurgents - not just al Qaida," Admiral Mullen said.

Coalition forces have responded with aggressive operations. American Marines have recaptured Taliban-held towns in Helmand province. Coalition and Afghan forces are pursuing militants operating near the Pakistani border, and occasionally firing at militants fleeing back into Pakistani territory.

In June, a U.S. airstrike on a border post accidentally killed 11 Pakistani troops. The Pakistani military sharply criticized the attack.

On Friday, local officials in South Waziristan said mortar¹⁴ shells fired from Afghanistan wounded eight Pakistani troops at a border checkpoint. U.S. and Pakistani military officials have not commented on the reported strike.

　

 

1 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

2 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

3 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

4 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

5 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

10 havens   

n.港口，安全地方( haven的名词复数 )v.港口，安全地方( haven的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Your twenty havens would back out at the last minute anyhow. 你那二十个避难所到了最后一分钟也要不认帐。 来自辞典例句
• Using offshore havens to avoid taxes and investor protections. 使用海面的港口避免税和投资者保护。 来自互联网

11 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

12 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

13 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

14 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。