VOA标准英语2010年-Yemen, Saudi Arabia Fight Shi'ite Rebe

Saudi Arabia, Yemen's neighbor to the north, has launched its own operations against the Houthis. And Yemen accuses Iran of supporting the rebels.

Katayoun Beglari/Hamed Behravan | Sanaa, Yemen 31 December 2009

 
Yemeni forces clash with Shi'ite Houthi rebels in the northern province of Saada, along the border with Saudi Arabia

 

Yemen's bid to control and defeat al-Qaida on its territory is not its only challenge. In a remote part of northern Yemen, along the border with Saudi Arabia, another conflict has been raging - between government forces and rebels who the government suspects of operating with Iran's backing.

The northern province of Saada lies behind these mountains.

There, a sporadic¹ five-year-long war between Yemeni government forces and Shi'ite Houthi fighters escalated² recently. 

And there are said to be new players.

Saudi Arabia, Yemen's neighbor to the north, has launched its own operations against the Houthis. And Yemen accuses Iran of supporting the rebels.

"If there was no support for the Al Houthis from the Iranian religious figures, the conflict would have not taken this long," said Yemen's Minister of Information, Hassan al-Lozy.  "The Iranian government's goal is to portray³ this war as a Shi'ite-Sunni conflict."

Hussein al Houthi was a member of Yemen's parliament.  He was a frequent guest at this house in Yemen's capital, Sanaa.

In 2004, he launched an armed rebellion against the state.

He said he wanted to protect Zaidi Shi'ites, a majority in Saada, from Saudi-supported Wahabi Sunnis, whose numbers were growing in northern Yemen.   

Wahabism is the fundamentalist sect⁴ of Sunni Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia.  It says true Islam consists only of the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. 

Sunnis, although not Wahabis, are the majority in Yemen.

Government forces killed Hussein al Houthi in 2004.

"He was my very close friend," said Hassan Al Zaid, who founded the Al Haq Party with Hussein al Houthi.

He says Iran is not involved with the rebels. "It's a big lie," he said.

Hussein's younger brother Abdul Malek al Houthi became the rebel leader, but there are unconfirmed reports he was killed in a recent airstrike.   

After the Houthis seized some Saudi territory in early November, Riyadh launched an assault, including air strikes.

Some analysts⁵ say Iran and Saudi Arabia are proxies⁶ in the war.  Yemen is strategically located at the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula.

Abdul Ghani al Eryani is an independent political adviser⁷.  "The war has not yet turned into a proxy⁸ war," he said.

The U.S. State Department also says there is no proof that Iran is supporting Shiite rebels in Yemen.

And Iran denies helping⁹ the Houthis.

The U.N. High Commissioner¹⁰ for Refugees estimates that since 2004, up to 175,000 people in Saada have fled their homes.

Most are living in a displaced persons camp near the war zone.

Naseem Al Rahman is UNICEF's representative in Yemen.  "The worst effect of this conflict is on the women," he said.

Al Rahman says Yemen is sacrificing its future by continuing the war.
 

1 sporadic   

adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的

参考例句：

• The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.仍能听见零星的枪声。
• You know this better than I.I received only sporadic news about it.你们比我更清楚，而我听到的只是零星消息。

2 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

3 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

4 sect   

n.派别，宗教，学派，派系

参考例句：

• When he was sixteen he joined a religious sect.他16岁的时候加入了一个宗教教派。
• Each religious sect in the town had its own church.该城每一个宗教教派都有自己的教堂。

5 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。

6 proxies   

n.代表权( proxy的名词复数 )；（测算用的）代替物；（对代理人的）委托书；（英国国教教区献给主教等的）巡游费

参考例句：

• SOCKS and proxies are unavailable. Try connecting to XX again? socks和代理不可用。尝试重新连接到XX吗？ 来自互联网
• All proxies are still down. Continue with direct connections? 所有的代理仍然有故障。继续直接连接吗？ 来自互联网

7 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

8 proxy   

n.代理权，代表权；（对代理人的）委托书；代理人

参考例句：

• You may appoint a proxy to vote for you.你可以委托他人代你投票。
• We enclose a form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting.我们附上委任年度大会代表的表格。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

10 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。