VOA标准英语2009年-Karzai Allows Afghan Warlord to Return fro

A controversial but still powerful former Afghan warlord has flown back to the country from exile to campaign for President Hamid Karzai. The return home of the Communist-era militia¹ general is seen as a boost for the incumbent² president's campaign.
　
Afghan General Abdul Rashid Dostum (file)

Just after Afghanistan's government announced it had no objection to his return, former Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum jetted home from exile in Turkey. He wasted no time injecting himself into the final hours of the presidential campaign, throwing his support behind President Karzai.

That is of no small significance. Dostum himself collected ten percent of the votes in the 2004 election and many of his fellow Uzbeks will follow his lead.

Both the United Nations and the United States are upset about Dostum's return. The U.S. Embassy here released a statement saying Dostum's reputation raises "questions of his culpability³ for massive human rights violations⁴."

Kabul University political science professor Wadir Safi tells VOA that Karzai's embrace of the general may have a short-term political gain to capture the Uzbek vote, but will further undermine the President's credibility with the majority.

"He has lost his trust [with] the people of Afghanistan because of these acts and not applying justice in the society and supporting the war criminals. He can not be successful in the future by bringing such personalities⁵ beside him," said Safi.

A U.S. State Department report quote witnesses as saying that during the American-led war to overthrow⁶ the Taliban, Gen. Dostum's forces suffocated⁷ prisoners in sealed cargo⁸ containers.

Last year, Dostum was accused of a drunken attack on a rival.

The general, who has a reputation for switching allegiances, holds the ceremonial post of Chief of Staff to the Afghan National Army's Commander-in-Chief.

Mr. Karzai, who has been president for seven years, is leading all challengers. But polls show him falling short of the 50 percent threshold to avoid a runoff election.

The Taliban are vowing⁹ to disrupt Thursday's balloting¹⁰. To counter the threat, a massive security operation is planned for election day. Several hundred thousand Afghan forces and international troops are being deployed¹¹ to secure nearly 29,000 voting sites nationwide.

1 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

2 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

3 culpability   

n.苛责，有罪

参考例句：

• As if the estrangement between them had come of any culpability of hers. 姐弟俩疏远的责任竟仿佛落到了她的身上！ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• The offence, as now defined in English law, covers a wide spectrum of culpability. 英国法律规定，违法包括很多种过失行为。 来自互联网

4 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。

5 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

6 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

7 suffocated   

（使某人）窒息而死( suffocate的过去式和过去分词 )； （将某人）闷死； 让人感觉闷热； 憋气

参考例句：

• Many dogs have suffocated in hot cars. 许多狗在热烘烘的汽车里给闷死了。
• I nearly suffocated when the pipe of my breathing apparatus came adrift. 呼吸器上的管子脱落时，我差点给憋死。

8 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

9 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

10 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句

11 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。