VOA标准英语2009年-Pakistani Taliban Claim Responsibility for

By Sean Maroney
Islamabad
06 October 2009

 
Pakistani security and medical personnel and media gather in front of UN office as smoke billows out after suicide blast in Islamabad, 05 Oct 2009
The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility on Tuesday for the suicide bombing at the United Nations food agency's headquarters in Islamabad a day earlier that killed five employees and wounded five others.

Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq contacted reporters by phone from an undisclosed location Tuesday, saying his group plans to target more foreign aid agencies in Pakistan.

He accused international organizations, such as the World Food Program, of promoting what he calls a Western agenda in the country.

WFP spokesman for Pakistan Amjed Jamal disagrees.

"We are a humanitarian¹ organization," Jamal said. "We are working here for the people of Pakistan and for the people being affected² by the acts of terrorism."

 
This television frame grab taken from Dawn TV on October 5, 2009, shows Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud talking with media at an undisclosed location
The Taliban's claim comes a day after local journalists in the tribal³ regions released a new video, allegedly showing Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud on Sunday.

In the meeting with reporters, Mehsud promised that his fighters would carry out more attacks against local and foreign targets in the country.

Speaking to reporters in the capital Tuesday, Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said he believed that the Taliban carried out Monday's attack on the WFP offices in retaliation⁴ for the death of their former leader Baitullah Mehsud. Mehsud reportedly died in a suspected U.S. missile strike in August in South Waziristan.

Malik reiterated⁵ that the terrorist attacks would not discourage the military's campaign against Taliban and al-Qaida fighters in Pakistan's tribal areas, which border Afghanistan.

He also warned that he expects more terrorist attacks in the coming days, and he promised that security, particularly in the capital city, will remain on high alert.

Analysts⁶ believe the Pakistani military is on the verge⁷ of launching a major campaign in South Waziristan, where the Pakistani Taliban leadership is believed to be based.

Meanwhile, the military announced that the commander for international forces in Afghanistan, U.S. General Stanley McChrystal, met with Pakistani army chief, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Tuesday on a previously⁸ unannounced visit to Rawalpindi.

The military did not release details of the meeting, but an official statement did say the two men "met for some time and discussed matters of professional interest."

1 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 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。

4 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

6 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。

7 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

8 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。