VOA标准英语2009年-Al-Shabab Asks Foreign Fighters to Come to

By Alan Boswell
Nairobi
16 September 2009

A senior commander of radical¹ Islamist militant² group al-Shabab in Somalia has issued a public call for foreign fighters from around the world to come to Somalia and join its fight against the Western-backed Mogadishu government.

The leader of al-Shabab forces in the Bay and Bakol regions, Sheikh Mahad Abdikarim, is asking for foreign Islamic militants³ to join al-Shabab in Somalia.

He says that all Muslim religious warriors⁴ should come and participate in their war.

 
Saleh Ali Nabhan, one of Africa's most wanted al-Qaida suspects, is seen In this undated image released by Kenya's police force 15 Sep 2009 
The public announcement was prompted by the Islamic group's anger over the U.S. killing⁵ of wanted terrorist suspect Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan in al-Shabab controlled southern Somalia. Nabhan was believed to be a central operative for the global terrorist group al-Qaida.

The suspected terrorist was thought to have been involved in a 2002 bombing of an Israeli tourist hotel on the coast of Kenya and a botched attempt at shooting down an Israeli charter jet the same day.

U.S. authorities also think that Nabhan is probably connected to the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam⁶.

Al-Shabab is listed by the U.S. as a terrorist group, and analysts⁷ believe a number of its top leaders have been trained in al-Qaida camps abroad.

The al-Shabab commander said at the news conference that if Burundian and Ugandan troops have entered the conflict on behalf of the Western-backed transitional federal government, then the Islamist opposition⁸ fighters should also receive foreign help.

About 5,000 Burundian and Ugandan troops are stationed in Mogadishu as part of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM. The troops are technically⁹ mandated¹⁰ with the protection of key sites in the capital, including the presidential palace, airstrip, and seaport¹¹.

Al-Shabab was part of the coalition¹² Islamic Courts Union which took power in Somalia in 2006. The governing group contained both moderate and extremist elements, but was considered dangerous by U.S. authorities.

A U.S.-backed Ethiopian invasion in 2006 ousted¹³ the Islamic Courts Union from power, pushing al-Shabab deep into southern Somalia. In a deal backed by the United Nations, a moderate leader of the Islamic Courts Union, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, was elected president of the Mogadishu-based Somali government earlier this year.

Al-Shabab, alongside other Islamic opposition fighters, has pushed pro-government forces back to Mogadishu, where the two sides are engaged in ongoing¹⁴ street battles as the Islamist opposition attempts to topple the President Sharif administration.

1 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

2 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。

3 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。

4 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 salaam   

n.额手之礼，问安，敬礼；v.行额手礼

参考例句：

• And the people were so very friendly:full of huge beaming smiles,calling out "hello" and "salaam".这里的人民都很友好，灿然微笑着和我打招呼，说“哈罗”和“萨拉姆”。
• Salaam is a Muslim form of salutation.额手礼是穆斯林的问候方式。

7 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

10 mandated   

adj. 委托统治的

参考例句：

• Mandated desegregation of public schools. 命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离
• Britain was mandated to govern the former colony of German East Africa. 英国受权代管德国在东非的前殖民地。

11 seaport   

n.海港，港口，港市

参考例句：

• Ostend is the most important seaport in Belgium.奥斯坦德是比利时最重要的海港。
• A seaport where ships can take on supplies of coal.轮船能够补充煤炭的海港。

12 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。

13 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

14 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。