VOA标准英语 Russia Ends Counterterrorism Operation in Chechnya

Russia has ended its decade-long counterterrorism operation in Chechnya, an undertaking¹ that led to broad restrictions² on civil liberties in the war-torn Caucasus republic. The move could lead to the withdrawal³ of 20,000 Russian police and servicemen from Chechnya.
　
Picture taken in Feb 1996 shows Russian soldiers leaving the Chechen village of Shatoy

Russia's National Counterterrorism Committee issued a statement saying Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov canceled the security regime in Chechnya on orders of President Dmitri Medvedev.

Decision aims to normalize situation

The statement says, "The decision is aimed at creating conditions for the future normalization⁴ of the situation in the republic, its reconstruction⁵ and development of its socio-economic sphere."

The counterterrorism operation in Chechnya was instituted in 1999, when Russia sent troops for the second time since the collapse⁶ of the Soviet⁷ Union to put down a local separatist movement. The operation resulted in curfews, roadblocks, arbitrary arrests, and limited civilian⁸ air transport. Journalists were prohibited from entering Chechnya without permission and had to travel with an official escort.

Cause for celebration
　
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov said the end of the operation would boost the local economy and declared a holiday to celebrate the event.

Kadyrov says Chechens traveled long to see the end of the operation, plus they lost everything of value, and paid dearly for peace, stability and prosperity.

He also recalled the loss of many friends and relatives, including his father, former Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov, who was assassinated⁹ in a bombing in 2004.

The Interfax News Agency quotes an unnamed Russian security official as saying as many as 20,000 police and servicemen could be withdrawn¹⁰ from Chechnya with the end of the counterterrorism operation. But the speaker of the lower house of the Russian Parliament, Boris Gryzlov, says some Interior Ministry¹¹ troops will remain.

Gryzlov says Interior Ministry troops will remain in areas of permanent deployment¹², including the 46th brigade. This he says, is necessary, and recalls that special housing was built for this brigade, where it can continue to serve.

Financial crunch¹³ made impact

Last month, Gryzlov said the global economic crisis required Russia to reconsider the cost of maintaining the large number of Interior Ministry troops needed to enforce the counter-terrorism operation.

But violence continues to plague Chechnya and the government of President Kadyrov is accused of widespread human-rights violations¹⁴. On Tuesday, an Interior Ministry officer was killed in the republic and two others were wounded in a gun battle with rebels.

The bloodshed also continues outside the country. At least five critics of President Kadyrov have been killed in recent months. Victims include former rebel leaders Ruslan and Sulim Yamadayev.

Ruslan was shot in September in rush hour traffic near the Moscow offices of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Sulim was gunned down in Dubai at the end of March. Ramzan Kadyrov's former bodyguard¹⁵ was killed in Vienna in January. He had claimed the Chechen leader personally tortured him with electric shocks. None of the killings¹⁶ have been solved.

1 undertaking   

n.保证，许诺，事业

参考例句：

• He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

4 normalization   

n.（normalisation）正常化，标准化

参考例句：

• The visit signalled the normalization of relations between the two countries.这次访问显示两国关系已经正常化。
• He was pleased to the normalization of relationship between the police and the people.他很高兴警方和人民之间关系的正常化。

5 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

6 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

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。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

7 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

8 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。

9 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

10 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

11 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

12 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

13 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

14 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

15 bodyguard   

n.护卫，保镖

参考例句：

• She has to have an armed bodyguard wherever she goes.她不管到哪儿都得有带武器的保镖跟从。
• The big guy standing at his side may be his bodyguard.站在他身旁的那个大个子可能是他的保镖。

16 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。