VOA慢速英语-IN THE NEWS - With Karadzic Under Arrest, Attention

The war crimes cases of the former Bosnian Serb leader and the president of Sudan involve two separate courts, both in The Hague. Transcript¹ of radio broadcast:
25 July 2008

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is no longer on the run from international law. Serbia's announcement of his arrest Monday in Belgrade came just days before the thirteenth anniversary of the first charges against him.
　

Radovan Karadzic in a photo just released

He was at the top of the most wanted list of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. He faces charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Bosnian war. Also wanted are his military commander, Ratko Mladic, and former Croatian Serb leader Goran Hadzic.

The United Nations created the court in The Hague. Serbian officials say Radovan Karadzic could be sent to the Netherlands on Monday at the earliest. His lawyers have appealed to stop the move. Failing that, they say he wants to represent himself before the court.

The man who was called the "Butcher of Bosnia" had been living in the Serbian capital. The former psychiatrist² was practicing new age medicine as a spiritual healer. He used the name Dragan David Dabic. He grew a long white beard and wore glasses. He even had a Web site.
　

Karadzic in a 1996 photo

He is charged in the siege of Sarajevo. Almost four years of bullets, shellfire, disease and starvation killed more than ten thousand people in the Bosnian capital.

He is also charged in the deadliest single act against civilians³ in Europe since World War Two. Eight thousand Muslim men and boys were killed in Srebrenica in nineteen ninety-five. The United Nations had declared the Bosnian town a U.N.-protected "safe area."

Serb forces took Srebrenica as part of a campaign that came to be known as ethnic⁴ cleansing⁵.

The war in Bosnia-Herzegovina began in nineteen ninety-two after Muslims and Croats declared independence from Yugoslavia.

Many people in Sarajevo celebrated⁶ the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, while some nationalist Serbs demonstrated in Belgrade. But Serbia's newly elected government wants to join the European Union. The surrender of war crimes suspects is a major condition for Serbia to become a candidate for membership.
　

President Omar al-Bashir with Sudanese troops in Darfur on Wednesday

The capture came as another court in The Hague considers seeking the arrest of Omar al-Bashir, the president of Sudan.

The chief prosecutor⁷ for the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has requested an arrest order. The Argentine lawyer wants to bring President Bashir to trial on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.

The United Nations estimates that as many as three hundred thousand people have died in the conflict in western Sudan since two thousand three. Two and a half million are living in camps for the displaced. Sudan's government says no more than ten thousand people have been killed. The conflict involves rebels, government forces and allied⁸ militias⁹.

The African Union and the Arab League want a delay in any charges against President Bashir. China, which supplies arms to Sudan and buys its oil, warns that the case could lead to more violence in Darfur.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I'm Steve Ember.

　

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 psychiatrist   

n.精神病专家；精神病医师

参考例句：

• He went to a psychiatrist about his compulsive gambling.他去看精神科医生治疗不能自拔的赌瘾。
• The psychiatrist corrected him gently.精神病医师彬彬有礼地纠正他。

3 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。

4 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

5 cleansing   

n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词

参考例句：

• medicated cleansing pads for sensitive skin 敏感皮肤药物清洗棉
• Soap is not the only cleansing agent. 肥皂并不是唯一的清洁剂。

6 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

7 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

8 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

9 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网