VOA标准英语2010年-US Navy Concerned About Alleged Al-Qai

The U.S. Navy says it is on heightened alert after receiving what it calls "credible¹" al-Qaida threats against American warships³ and commercial vessels⁴ in the Gulf⁵ of Aden, the Arabian Sea, and the Persian Gulf.  The latest threat from Osama bin⁶ Laden's terror network calls on followers⁷ to gather intelligence about ships and their sailors so that they can be targeted for attacks.

The threat, made on December 31 in a message posted on an extremist Internet Web site, prompted the Naval⁸ Criminal Investigative Service to elevate the risk for all U.S. military and commercial ships sailing through an area stretching from Somalia to the Persian Gulf.

The message contained detailed⁹ instructions, particularly on what type of intelligence should be collected from each U.S. warship².   The unnamed author says al-Qaida will use the information to target American vessels, including aircraft carriers, submarines, and all naval equipment deployed¹⁰ in the region.  He urges potential informants not to underestimate the importance of any piece of information they can gather. 

Navy spokesman Lieutenant¹¹ Nathan Christiansen tells VOA that sailors and their families have been warned to be careful not to reveal any information that could be used against them. 

"It is important that Navy families remain vigilant¹² in not sharing potentially sensitive or secure information by any non-secure means, and that includes letters, e-mails, phone conversations, or social media including Facebook," he said.

Fifth Fleet would not comment on what additional security measures are being taken to protect its ships and personnel. 

The U.S. Navy has a significant presence in the region, especially in the Gulf of Aden - a busy commercial shipping¹³ lane off the northern coast of Somalia.  The U.S. Navy and the navies of dozens of other countries are patrolling the narrow waterway to deter¹⁴ ship hijackings-for-ransom by pirate gangs.

Reports that al-Qaida-trained operatives may be poised¹⁵ to attack American commercial and passenger vessels in the Arabian Sea are being widely circulated in Arab-speaking Gulf states, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates.  Western intelligence officials have reportedly urged each country to boost security measures and to provide better protection for ships, especially oil and gas tankers¹⁶. 

On Thursday, a Kuwaiti newspaper, al-Qabas, said unnamed Kuwaiti security sources confirmed that al-Qaida has regrouped in the region in recent months, thanks largely to the deteriorating¹⁷ security in Somalia and Yemen. 
 
Both countries are home to militant¹⁸ anti-West insurgent¹⁹ groups that have publicly claimed allegiance to al-Qaida.  The group in Yemen, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, is believed to have ties with Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a U.S. passenger jet on December 25.  

Al-Qaida has targeted the U.S. Navy in the past.  In 2001, al-Qaida boasted that it had carried out the October 2000 bombing of USS Cole while the destroyer was refueling at a port in southern Yemen.  The blast killed 17 sailors and wounded 39 others.

 

1 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

2 warship   

n.军舰，战舰

参考例句：

• He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。
• The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。

3 warships   

军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只

参考例句：

• The enemy warships were disengaged from the battle after suffering heavy casualties. 在遭受惨重伤亡后，敌舰退出了海战。
• The government fitted out warships and sailors for them. 政府给他们配备了战舰和水手。

4 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

6 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

7 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

8 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

9 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

10 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。

11 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

12 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

13 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

14 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

15 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

16 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

17 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

18 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。

19 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。