VOA标准英语2010年-At Least 4 Killed In Blast Outside al-

（单词翻译）

Iraqi army soldiers stand in the ruins of the office of the Al-Arabiya television station after a suicide bomber¹ driving a minibus struck in Baghdad, Iraq, 26 July 2010

Iraqi authorities say a car bomb exploded outside the Baghdad offices of al-Arabiya television, killing² at least four people.

The bomber apparently³ was let through two security checkpoints on the street leading up to al-Arabiya's bureau in the capital.

The head of the police anti-explosives unit, General Jihad al-Jabiri, said the effect was devastating⁴.

Al-Jabiri said the internal and external pressure of the blast led to a total destruction of al-Arabiya TV station headquarters. Witnesses said the interior of the building was in shambles⁵.

The Saudi-owned, Dubai-based station was among several foreign media threatened with attack in recent weeks. A government spokesman said the blast had the hallmarks of the insurgent⁶ group al-Qaida in Iraq. 

Officials said security measures had been enhanced around the al-Arabiya building. But like other checkpoints throughout the city, bombers⁷ have frequently been waved through, leading to suspicions of corruption⁸, collusion or simply incompetence⁹ by those manning the posts.

Al-Arabiya is no stranger to being targeted. The head of the bureau escaped a failed bombing attempt in 2008. Other media groups have been blasted out of their offices this year, in a series of hotel bombings in Baghdad.

Aides to lawmaker Salam al-Zubaie say the politician was among the wounded in Monday's attack. Al-Zubaie, who lives near the station, is a member of Iraqiya, the bloc¹⁰ led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. Neither Iraqiya nor the coalition¹¹ led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki received enough seats in March elections to form a government outright¹². Nearly five months later, the parties remain deadlocked¹³.

The political impasse¹⁴ comes as the United States prepares to withdraw an additional 50,000 troops from Iraq by the end of next month.