VOA标准英语2010年-Taliban Militants Claim Responsibility

Eight Americans, including seven who were members of the CIA, as well as four Canadian soldiers and a Canadian journalist were killed in the attacks. The bombing in Khost was one of the deadliest attacks against the U.S. intelligence agency.

Ravi Khanna | Washington 31 December 2009

 
Taliban militants¹ have claimed responsibility for an attack on a U.S. base in Khost province, eastern Afghanistan, and another attack on Canadian soldiers in southern  Kandahar province. Eight Americans, including seven who were members of the CIA, as well as four Canadian soldiers and a Canadian journalist were killed in the attacks. The bombing in Khost was one of the deadliest attacks against the U.S. intelligence agency.  Meanwhile, hundreds of Afghans gathered in Kabul Wednesday to protest the killing² by NATO forces of what the Afghans claim were civilians⁴.

A Taliban spokesman says Wednesday's attack on a U.S. base in Khost province was carried out by an Afghan army officer, but this has not been confirmed.

The suicide bomber⁵ got inside Forward Operating Base Chapman and detonated an explosive vest near the gym.

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency says seven of its employees were killed in the attack, and six others were wounded.  

In recent weeks, the agency has stepped up drone attacks on Taliban and al Qaida hideouts in the frontier region bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan.

On Thursday, security was tight in Khost. Afghan police manned roadblocks around the city.

A taxi driver complained after being searched at several checkpoints. But a police officer said searches are a must.

"The security situation is getting worse nowadays, as you know yesterday evening a suicide bomber blew himself up," said Afghan policeman Guilab Shah.

In the South, in Kandahar city, a roadside bomb killed four Canadian soldiers and a journalist also on Wednesday.

They were killed as the soldiers patrolled what was considered a safe part of Kandahar.

"The soldiers were conducting a community security patrol in order to gather information on the pattern of life and maintain security in the area," said Brigadier-general Daniel Menard.

Journalists identified the reporter as 34-year-old Michelle Lang, with the Calgary Herald⁶.  She was riding in the back of an armored vehicle.

Meanwhile, in Kabul, hundreds of Afghans took to the streets to protest a raid on Sunday by Afghan and NATO forces in eastern Kunar province.  Afghan officials say the raid killed 10 civilians. 

"Our gathering⁷ here is to express our sadness and our unhappiness and also demonstrate against the killing of innocent people of Afghanistan by foreign troops in Afghanistan," said Khalid Rashid, a leder of protest.
     
The incident is under a joint⁸ investigation⁹.
 
U.S. and NATO commander, General Stanley McChrystal, has made protecting civilians the top priority for foreign troops. He has issued orders designed to reduce civilian³ deaths by placing limits on firepower.

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 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。

3 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

4 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

5 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。

6 herald   

vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎

参考例句：

• In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
• Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。

7 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。