VOA标准英语2009-UN Commission to Start Bhutto Assassination

The United Nations secretary-general has appointed a three-person commission to investigate the circumstances of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination¹ in December 2007. The commission will begin its work on July 1.

In February, the government of Pakistan asked U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to establish an international commission to investigate Mrs. Bhutto's assassination.

On Friday, Mr. Ban's spokeswoman, Michele Montas, announced that the three-person panel would be led by Chile's U.N. Ambassador, Heraldo Munoz. He will be assisted by Indonesia's former attorney general Marzuki Darusman, and Irish police expert Peter Fitzgerald.

Montas said the commission would start work on July 1. "The Commission's mandate² will be to inquire into the facts and circumstances of the assassination of former Prime Minister Bhutto. The duty to determine criminal responsibility of the perpetrators of the assassination remains³ with the Pakistani authorities," he said.

She said the commission will submit a report to the secretary-general within six months. He will then share it with the government of Pakistan and the U.N. Security Council.

Mrs. Bhutto was killed in a shooting and suicide bombing attack on her convoy⁴ as she left a campaign rally in the city of Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007.

Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mesud has been accused of organizing the assassination, a charge his supporters deny.

1 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

2 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。