VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Orders Guantanamo Prison Closed Within On

In a major reversal of Bush administration policies, President Barack Obama has ordered the shutdown of the U.S. terror detention¹ facility at the Guantanamo Bay Naval² Base. Mr. Obama has also ordered a review of military trials for terror suspects and acted to ban so-called "enhanced" interrogation techniques.
　
President Barack Obama signs an executive order closing prison at Guantanamo Bay, in the Oval Office of the White House, 22 Jan. 2009

With three strokes of the pen, President Obama radically³ overhauled⁴ America's handling of terror suspects, but pledged the battle against terrorism will continue.

"We intend to win this fight. We are going to win it on our terms," he said.

The president signed an executive order mandating⁵ the shutdown of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp within a year. In addition, he set up a task force that will recommend what is to be done with about 245 remaining terror suspects once the Guantanamo Bay camp is closed.

The administration has suspended trials for Guantanamo suspects for 120 days while a review of military tribunals set up during the Bush administration goes forward.

Mr. Obama also stipulated⁶ the U.S. Army Field Manual will guide U.S. interrogations of terror suspects by all government entities⁷. The manual forbids "enhanced" techniques like waterboarding - which simulates drowning - that were believed to have been used by CIA operatives in exceptional circumstances. Administration officials say the detainees will be covered by the Geneva Conventions on prisoner treatment. The director of the CIA has told employees they must follow the new rules without exception.
　
Guards escort a Guantanamo detainee at the Camp 4 detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 18 Nov 2008

While it is not yet clear what will be done with all the detainees when the camp closes, White House officials say no terror suspects will be sent to third countries that employ torture.

Speaking in the Oval Office, the president said his administration will not continue with what he called a false choice between safety and ideals.

"We think that it is precisely⁸ our ideals that give us the strength and the moral high ground to be able to effectively deal with the unthinking violence that we see emanating⁹ from terrorist organizations around the world," he said.

Speaking on Capitol Hill, Mr. Obama's pick to oversee¹⁰ U.S. intelligence work, Admiral Dennis Blair, described the Guantanamo detainee camp as "a rallying cry for terrorist recruitment."

"The Guantanamo detention center will be closed. It has become a damaging symbol," he said.

But Republican leaders are expressing grave misgivings¹¹ about closing the facility, citing reports that some detainees that were released in recent years have rejoined al-Qaida or other terrorist organizations.

Closing Guantanamo was a central Obama campaign promise.

Set up after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Guantanamo detention facility quickly became an irritant between the United States and the world at large, including long-standing U.S. allies.

Human rights groups have blasted the indefinite nature of the detentions¹² with few of the rights and protections mandated¹³ for prisoners of war under international law. They also have decried¹⁴ detainee living conditions in the early phase of the operation, as well as allegations of abuse and torture.

The Bush administration argued that those detained in the global war on terror did not qualify for prisoner-of-war status, since they fought for no internationally-recognized government and wore no uniforms. Former President Bush referred to them as "illegal combatants" and "detainees" rather than "soldiers" and "prisoners" - and maintained that the United States does not torture.

The United States has maintained a naval base at Guantanamo for more than a century. The land is leased from Cuba in an arrangement that precedes the Cuban revolution. The base will not be closed by this order.

1 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。

2 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。

3 radically   

ad.根本地，本质地

参考例句：

• I think we may have to rethink our policies fairly radically. 我认为我们可能要对我们的政策进行根本的反思。
• The health service must be radically reformed. 公共医疗卫生服务必须进行彻底改革。

4 overhauled   

v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 )；大修；赶上；超越

参考例句：

• Within a year the party had drastically overhauled its structure. 一年内这个政党已大刀阔斧地整顿了结构。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A mechanic overhauled the car's motor with some new parts. 一个修理工对那辆汽车的发动机进行了彻底的检修，换了一些新部件。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 mandating   

托管（mandate的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Current requirements mandating that committees keep minutes are too general. 目前对委员会要保持详细记录的指令性要求，还是太过一般化了。
• Mandating that workers who quit without permission forfeit a month's wages. 规定工人私自离岗将受到罚没一个月工资的处罚。

6 stipulated   

vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的

参考例句：

• A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。
• Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句

7 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

8 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

9 emanating   

v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的现在分词 )；产生，表现，显示

参考例句：

• Even so, there is a slight odour of potpourri emanating from Longfellow. 纵然如此，也还是可以闻到来自朗费罗的一种轻微的杂烩的味道。 来自辞典例句
• Many surface waters, particularly those emanating from swampy areas, are often colored to the extent. 许多地表水，特别是由沼泽地区流出的地表水常常染上一定程度的颜色。 来自辞典例句

10 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

11 misgivings   

n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧

参考例句：

• I had grave misgivings about making the trip. 对于这次旅行我有过极大的顾虑。
• Don't be overtaken by misgivings and fear. Just go full stream ahead! 不要瞻前顾后， 畏首畏尾。甩开膀子干吧！ 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 detentions   

拘留( detention的名词复数 )； 扣押； 监禁； 放学后留校

参考例句：

• Teachers may assign detention tasks as they wish and some detentions have been actually dangerous. 老师可能随心所欲指派关禁闭的形式，有些禁闭事实上很危险。
• Intimidation, beatings and administrative detentions are often enough to prevent them from trying again. 恐吓，拷打和行政拘留足以阻止请愿者二次进京的脚步。

13 mandated   

adj. 委托统治的

参考例句：

• Mandated desegregation of public schools. 命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离
• Britain was mandated to govern the former colony of German East Africa. 英国受权代管德国在东非的前殖民地。

14 decried   

v.公开反对，谴责( decry的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The measures were decried as useless. 这些措施受到指责，说是不起作用。
• The old poet decried the mediocrity of today's writing. 老诗人抨击了现代文体的平庸无奇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》