VOA标准英语2009年-Pakistan Claims of Success Against Taliban

With outside observers barred from getting near the fighting, it is difficult to accurately¹ assess the effectiveness of Pakistani army operations against the Taliban in northern Pakistan. Some independent observers believe the army may be inflating² its claims of success and that some of the Taliban militants⁴ have slipped out of the area. There are concerns that the Taliban could even threaten the key artery⁵ between Pakistan and China.
　
Government soldiers raise a Pakistani flag on a former Taliban base overlooking Swat Valley, 22 May 2009

Since it launched its offensive against the Taliban in northern Pakistan, the army said it has killed scores of militants and won back large chunks⁶ of territory. But verifying government claims of success has proved extremely difficult, if not impossible. Communications to affected⁷ portions of the Swat Valley and surrounding areas independently have been cut, and the army will not allow journalists into the conflict zone.

Larry Goodson, a national security studies professor at the U.S. Army War College, says some of the government's claims may be inflated⁸.

"I frankly⁹ think that some of the engagement that has happened in some of those other places has been a mixture of sort of slash¹⁰ and burn tactics - I mean just sort of destroy everything in a village - mixed in with smoke and mirrors - 'yes, we're killing¹¹ lots of Taliban here' when in fact there's no journalists or independent observers there to verify in fact that's going on," he said.

To assess what is going on, military analysts¹² are looking at the tactics and results achieved in military operations in the Bajaur Agency of the North-West Frontier Province. That operation began last year and the army says it was cleansed¹³ of Taliban three months ago.

Shaun Gregory is head of the Pakistan Security Research Unit at the University of Bradford in Britain. He says the army's tactics in Swat and adjacent areas mirror the so-called standoff tactics used against the militants in Bajaur.
　
Local people are seen at the rubble¹⁴ of a police station allegedly destroyed by Taliban in Kadokhel in Buner district of Pakistan, (file photo)

"When I look at what's going on in Buner, in Dir, in Swat, it looks to me pretty similar. They're using a lot of artillery¹⁵, a lot of helicopters, a lot of air strikes, they have more troops on the ground, and I know there has been quite heavy fighting in one or two areas," he explained. "But, broadly, you're seeing the same thing - a lot of towns and villages destroyed, significant population driven out. It therefore does not surprise me that they have left gaps, if you like, in terms of what they're trying to do," he said.

Analysts believe those gaps have allowed some of the Taliban to escape the combat area. The Army War College's Larry Goodson says that is what happened in Bajaur. But, he adds, they do not all appear to be heading back west to the Federally Administered Tribal¹⁶ Areas that directly border Afghanistan.

"The exits were allowed to be open and guys were able to filter on out. And I think we're seeing the same out of Swat right now. And there have been rumors¹⁷ that not all of that filtering out has been back out to the west to Bajaur and Dir and those areas, Mohmand, but have been in some parts east and north," said Goodson.

Heading east for rest and refuge, say analysts, would place at least some of the Taliban fighters in areas adjoining the Karakoram Highway.
　
Ethnic¹⁸ Uighurs, camels ride in the back of a truck along the Karakoram Highway from Kashgar towards Karakul lake in China's Xinjiang region, (File)

The Karakoram Highway, also known as the Friendship Highway, is a 1300 kilometer road that runs north and south from just outside Islamabad to Kashgar in China's Xinjiang province. An engineering marvel¹⁹ that rises to its highest point at the 4800 meter high Khunjerab Pass, it is a vital artery for Sino-Pakistani trade.

Shaun Gregory says Chinese concern about a possible threat to the highway was as much of a factor in Islamabad's decision to take on the Taliban in Swat as was U.S. pressure about terrorism.

"In fact, my understanding that one of the reasons the army went into this war in the first place was some Chinese pressure because China has been worried about the creeping militant³ influence on the Karakoram Highway. Everybody reads this as a threat to Islamabad and American pressure, but actually the third segment of that is China's concern about its own influence, much of which flows through Karakoram one or another," he said.

Militants have blown up bridges or convoys²⁰ carrying supplies to NATO troops in Afghanistan on the road that runs westward²¹ from Peshawar and winds through the critical but vulnerable Khyber Pass.

Larry Goodson says any Taliban move against the Karakoram Highway would dramatically raise the stakes in the ongoing²² struggle in Pakistan.

"If they were to interdict²³ the KKH [Karakoram Highway] the Pakistani government would then have to engage them in way more serious than they have done before in Waziristan or Swat or Bajaur or any of these other places," he said. "That's really going after high-level government targets. It's threatening a strategic asset of the state, and, moreover, it's threatening one that the Chinese care a great deal about," Goodson added.

But so far there have been no reported attempts to interdict the Karakoram Highway. Analysts believe the Taliban could probably interdict the highway periodically at selected chokepoints, but that they would not be able to hold it.

Nevertheless, concern remains²⁴. The British Foreign Office issued a travel warning May 14 urging foreigners to fly up to Gilgit - a destination popular with world-class mountain climbers - rather than going by highway. The notice said that parts of the Karakoram Highway between Islamabad and Gilgit are extremely hostile to foreigners.

1 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

2 inflating   

v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的现在分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• I felt myself inflating slowly with rage, like a tyre. 我感到自己体内的怒气正慢慢膨胀，像一只轮胎那样。 来自互联网
• Many are already overheating, with prices rising and asset bubbles inflating. 随着物价日益上涨、资产泡沫膨胀，很多新兴国家经济已经过热。 来自互联网

3 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。

4 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。

5 artery   

n.干线，要道；动脉

参考例句：

• We couldn't feel the changes in the blood pressure within the artery.我们无法感觉到动脉血管内血压的变化。
• The aorta is the largest artery in the body.主动脉是人体中的最大动脉。

6 chunks   

厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分

参考例句：

• a tin of pineapple chunks 一罐菠萝块
• Those chunks of meat are rather large—could you chop them up a bIt'smaller? 这些肉块相当大，还能再切小一点吗？

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 inflated   

adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• He has an inflated sense of his own importance. 他自视过高。
• They all seem to take an inflated view of their collective identity. 他们对自己的集体身份似乎都持有一种夸大的看法。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

10 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

11 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

12 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。

13 cleansed   

弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The nurse cleansed the wound before stitching it. 护士先把伤口弄干净后才把它缝合。
• The notorious Hell Row was burned down in a fire, and much dirt was cleansed away. 臭名远场的阎王路已在一场大火中化为乌有，许多焦土灰烬被清除一空。

14 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

15 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

16 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

17 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 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。

19 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

20 convoys   

n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队

参考例句：

• Truck convoys often stop over for lunch here. 车队经常在这里停下来吃午饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A UN official said aid programs will be suspended until there's adequate protection for relief convoys. 一名联合国官员说将会暂停援助项目，直到援助车队能够得到充分的保护为止。 来自辞典例句

21 westward   

n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西

参考例句：

• We live on the westward slope of the hill.我们住在这座山的西山坡。
• Explore westward or wherever.向西或到什么别的地方去勘探。

22 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

23 interdict   

v.限制；禁止；n.正式禁止；禁令

参考例句：

• Troops could be ferried in to interdict drug shipments.可以把军队渡运过来阻截毒品的装运。
• Interdict could also be sought for the protection of public interests.禁令也可以用于保护公共利益。

24 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。