VOA标准英语2013--9/11 Suspects Get New Hearings at Guantanamo

 

9/11 Suspects Get New Hearings at Guantanamo

More than 11 years after the attacks, the case drags on in a Guantanamo Bay naval¹ base courtroom. 

The proceedings² are best characterized by the defiance³ and antics displayed by alleged⁴ ringleader Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the four other suspects -- accused of nearly 3,000 counts of murder.

At their arraignment⁵ in May, the suspects ignored the judge, had an outburst, and one of them began undressing in front of the court. 

This set of hearings will have the defense⁶ trying to get the charges thrown out -- on the argument that the proceedings are illegitimate. Defense attorneys want former U.S. President George W. Bush and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to be called as witnesses -- to testify on their role in ordering alleged torture and establishing the prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Jennifer Daskal, a Georgetown University law professor who has been vocal⁷ on the Guantanamo proceedings, says the suspects’ antics would likely not have gone so far if the case were being tried in a U.S. federal civilian⁸ court.

“The judge and the participants, they’re bending over backwards⁹ to make it appear as if the system is fair. And so, in a situation like that, the judge, it appears to me, is giving the defendants¹⁰ way more leeway than you would ever see in federal court where judges would just shut those kinds of antics down in an instant,” Daskal said.

The U.S. government’s decision to hold the trial at Guantanamo Bay and keep detainees imprisoned¹¹ there has sparked protests among American anti-war activists¹².

President Obama promised to close it down, but did not.

Daskal was among those calling for closure of the facility when it first opened. But she has since changed her mind.

“There are no more tortures going on in Guantanamo, and conditions have improved significantly. The thing that we’re left with is detention¹³ without charge, and, in the current political and legal climate, closing Guantanamo is not going to change that. Closing Guantanamo simply means moving some core subset of Guantanamo detainees to some other place where they’re detained without charge and most likely in much worse conditions,” Daskal said.

It is not clear whether the five defendants will show up for these hearings. 

But a few relatives of some of the nearly 3,000 victims will be there -- as they have been since the start of the proceedings. For them, the wait for justice continues. 

1 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。

2 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

3 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

4 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

5 arraignment   

n.提问，传讯，责难

参考例句：

• She was remanded to juvenile detention at her arraignment yesterday. 她昨天被送回了对少年拘留在她的传讯。 来自互联网
• Wyatt asks the desk clerk which courthouse he is being transferred to for arraignment. 他向接待警员询问了马宏将在哪个法庭接受传讯。 来自互联网

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

8 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。

9 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

10 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

11 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

12 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。