VOA标准英语2009-Taliban Attacks Targets on Both Sides of Pakista

Recent Taliban attacks on both sides of Pakistan's border with Afghanistan have targeted trucks carrying NATO supplies near Peshawar, Afghan government buildings and a U.S. military base in Khost province. Visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai said terrorists are expanding their reach in both countries.
　
The burnt trucks after militants¹ attacked at a terminal on the outskirts² of Peshawar, Pakistan, 13 May 2009

The string of attacks along the border region has again highlighted the Taliban's strength in what has long been its traditional home base.

NATO supply trucks attacked

Early Wednesday, dozens of suspected militants burned several trucks at one of the main transportation depots³ for NATO supply trucks just outside Peshawar.

Speaking at a regional economic conference in Islamabad, President Karzai said ambushes⁴ and sabotage⁵ striking hundreds of trucks in the past year has choked-off trade between the two countries.

"Trucks have been burned, drivers killed and merchandise has been looted and set on fire," he said. "There is more to this. Terrorists and extremists are extending their reach in whole areas of our countries."

Guerilla-style assaults launched across Afghan border

While targeted attacks on the NATO supply route have become almost common in northwest Pakistan, in the past two days militants just across the Afghan border have staged coordinated⁶ guerilla-style assaults against military and Afghan government buildings.

On Wednesday, a suicide car bomber⁷ killed several people and wounded more than 20 others outside a U.S. military base in eastern Khost province.

A day earlier, at least nine militants launched coordinated attacks against government targets in Khost city. The fighters, some wearing army uniforms and others wearing burqas, caused chaos⁸ as they barricaded⁹ themselves inside buildings. They then battled Afghan and coalition¹⁰ forces for several hours. During much of the battle, government and military officials gave conflicting information about the extent of the attack.

Khost governor defends response

The governor of Khost, Hamidullah Qalanderzai, defended the amount of time it took to regain¹¹ control of the city in an interview with VOA.

He says no one could have controlled that kind of attack in a short period of time - no matter where an attack like that occurred. He says the enemy suffered twice as many casualties in the attack.

South of Khost, in Paktika province, U.S. officials said militants fired several rockets at a coalition outpost early Wednesday. Military officials said the counterattack using airstrikes killed six of the insurgents¹², but also killed two and wounded six other people who were not involved with the rocket attack.

Attacks aim to derail Afghan presidential elections

Kabul-based defense¹³ analyst¹⁴ Khalid Maftoon says the latest attacks are part of the wider Taliban offensive aimed at derailing Afghanistan's presidential elections scheduled for August.

"There is a general sense the Taliban will increase their attacks across the country, but mainly in the south, east and in Kabul," he said. "In northern Afghanistan they do not have lots of influence, but in the past few days we have experienced Taliban activities where they have poisoned school children in Kapisa and Parwan province."

Northern Afghanistan is populated by Afghans of different ethnic¹⁵ backgrounds from the Pashtun-dominated Taliban and has generally been safer, despite an overall increase in violence during the past year.

But in recent weeks three schools for girls in the region have been hit with poison gas attacks, sending scores of schoolgirls to the hospital. Local officials blame Taliban sympathizers.

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 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

3 depots   

仓库( depot的名词复数 )； 火车站； 车库； 军需库

参考例句：

• Public transportation termini and depots are important infrastructures for a city. 公交场站设施是城市重要的基础设施。
• In the coastal cities are equipped with after-sales service and depots. 在各沿海城市均设有服务部及售后维修站。

4 ambushes   

n.埋伏( ambush的名词复数 )；伏击；埋伏着的人；设埋伏点v.埋伏( ambush的第三人称单数 )；埋伏着

参考例句：

• He was a specialist in ambushes, he said, and explained his tactics. 他说自己是埋伏战斗方面的专家，并讲述了他的战术。 来自互联网
• It makes ambushes rather fun. 它使得埋伏战术非常有趣。 来自互联网

5 sabotage   

n.怠工，破坏活动，破坏；v.从事破坏活动，妨害，破坏

参考例句：

• They tried to sabotage my birthday party.他们企图破坏我的生日晚会。
• The fire at the factory was caused by sabotage.那家工厂的火灾是有人蓄意破坏引起的。

6 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

7 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

8 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

9 barricaded   

设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守

参考例句：

• The police barricaded the entrance. 警方在入口处设置了路障。
• The doors had been barricaded. 门都被堵住了。

10 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。

11 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

12 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

13 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

14 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

15 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。