VOA标准英语2009-US Commander: Afghan Civilian Casualties Not fro

The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan said he has a "distinctly different" version of the incident Sunday in Farah Province, in which some local officials are claiming more than 100 civilians² were killed.
　
Gen. David McKiernan listens to a reporters' question at a press conference in Kabul, (File)

General David McKiernan said the provincial³ governor asked for a U.S. air strike to help Afghan police who were in a long battle Sunday with a fairly large Taliban force, which had beheaded three local officials.

After the battle was over, local residents and the International Committee of the Red Cross claimed there were about two-dozen casualties, but that claim increased as the days went on.

The general said a joint⁴ U.S.-Afghan investigation⁵ has been launched, and preliminary information indicates the local reports the civilian¹ deaths were caused by the U.S. airstrike are wrong.

"We have some other information that leads us to distinctly different conclusions about the cause of the civilian casualties. I am not going to tell you that right now until I can confirm the facts, but we do have people out there on the ground and will continue to follow this up with our Afghan counterparts to get to the truth," he said.

General McKiernan would not say how he thinks the civilians died, saying he hopes to have the results of the investigation within the next couple of days. But he said the Taliban and other militant⁶ groups claim civilian casualties after nearly every engagement, and blame coalition⁷ forces.

He said 25 Taliban fighters were killed in the operation. He could not provide an estimate for the civilian casualties, pending⁸ the results of the joint investigation.

1 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。

2 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。

3 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

4 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。

5 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。

6 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

7 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。

8 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。