VOA标准英语2015--IS战场胜利增加了袭击巴格达的恐惧

Battlefield Gains for IS Raise Fears of Assault on Baghdad IS战场胜利增加了袭击巴格达的恐惧

LONDON—

The Islamic State group seized the last government-held border crossing to Iraq early Friday, the latest in a series of terrotorial gains for the terror group, and there are mounting fears the group could soon launch an assault on the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

Now in full control of the Syrian city of Palmyra, Islamic State fighters tear down pro-government banners and portraits of President Bashar al-Assad from the walls of a gas facility on the outskirts¹ of town.

There are fears that their next target will be the spectacular ruins of the ancient city. The conquering of Palmyra was a victory for Islamic State militants²' battlefield strategy, said Sajjan Gohel, International Security Director at the Asia Pacific Foundation.

“They realize very quickly where they may be losing ground, like in Kobani, and then they relocate to a different part of Iraq or Syria to plot and plan a new attempt to take a city or town," Gohel said.

Kurds, airstrikes

The Islamic State group was driven out of Kobani in January by Kurdish forces, backed by coalition³ airstrikes. There was hope that defeat would be a turning point.

But three months later, the terror group is celebrating twin victories – Palmyra, and the capture of Ramadi in Iraq – just 120 kilometers from the capital Baghdad.

“Losing Ramadi was huge. It was a strategic loss. And the next step for ISIS at some point will be an assault on Baghdad. They may not succeed, but the point is the objective is to target Baghdad, and that is something the West has to keep in mind," Gohel said.

The West – led by the United States – is supporting coalition airstrikes on Islamic State positions in Iraq and Syria. Washington said this week that strategy is being stepped up.

“Our aircraft are in the air searching for ISIL targets, and they will continue to do so until Ramadi is retaken,"  U.S. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said.

But airstrikes alone will not halt the group's advance, argues Afzal Ashraf of the Royal United Services Institute.

“They have an impact which only lasts a short time. Unless you can exploit that impact on the ground, then you really lose the advantage. And they’ve been learning how to avoid airstrikes," Ashraf said.

Lack of coherent strategy

He argued the lack of a coherent strategy means Islamic State militants are still able to recruit fighters from across the region and beyond.

“Every time they make gains, more people wish to join them. Of course, measures put in place in Europe and elsewhere to restrict the flows have had an impact. But there are still many people who succeed in going to join them," Ashraf said.

The Islamic State group is different from previous Islamist terror groups like al-Qaida – and that is at the root of its resilience, Gohel said.

“This is not just a terrorist outfit⁴. It’s a criminal enterprise. It’s effectively operating as a militia⁵. They have resources on the ground, they have troop numbers, and they have the ability to fund their activities," he said. "Unless you have effective ground troop operations against ISIS, they will continue to spread their tentacles⁶ across Iraq and Syria, and worryingly even beyond that.”

From Pakistan to Nigeria, terror groups have adopted the Islamic State brand. Analysts⁷ said that with each victory on the battlefield, the group’s propaganda grows stronger.

1 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

2 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。

3 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。

4 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

5 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

6 tentacles   

n.触手( tentacle的名词复数 )；触角；触须；触毛

参考例句：

• Tentacles of fear closed around her body. 恐惧的阴影笼罩着她。
• Many molluscs have tentacles. 很多软体动物有触角。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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。