VOA标准英语2009年-Suicide Bombing in Somalia Raises Concerns

Sunday's suicide car bombing at a military camp in the Somali capital is raising alarm about how much foreign support the radical¹ al-Shabab group may be receiving in its ongoing² war against Somalia's U.N.-backed government. An explosion at an alleged³ al-Shabab safe house in Mogadishu nine days ago may offer some clues.

According to the Puntland-based website Garowe Online, the explosion that shook the Daynile district on the outskirts⁴ of Mogadishu on May 17 was the result of one or more bombs detonating prematurely⁵ on vehicles being prepared to be used in suicide car bombings.

Quoting unnamed sources, Garowe Online says the blast killed at least 17 people, including four foreigners. There are also unconfirmed reports that al-Shabab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane was wounded while meeting senior al-Shabab commanders inside the house. Garowe Online sources said faulty wiring caused the explosion.

Residents in Daynile say al-Shabab fighters sealed off the area, making confirmation⁶ of the story difficult.

Somali sources tell VOA an increasing number of foreigners from Pakistan, Yemen, Algeria, Morocco, and Libya, among others, have been arriving in Somalia in recent months on chartered planes, landing at an airstrip near Mogadishu. The unconfirmed reports say some of the foreigners came by road from neighboring Kenya, crossing the poorly-guarded border into al-Shabab held territories in southern Somalia.

The sources say many come to Somalia not to fight, but to work as instructors⁷ at more than half a dozen training camps set up by al-Shabab in Lower and Middle Jubba and the Lower Shabelle regions. There, young Somali boys, often recruited at gunpoint, are usually given three months of combat and terrorism training.

Despite support from Islamist factions⁸ and the presence of more than 4,000 African Union troops, the Somali government controls only a small area of the capital. Al-Shabab, listed by the United States as a terrorist organization for having links to al-Qaida, controls most of southern and central Somalia, including two large seaports⁹ and several airstrips.

On Monday, Somalia's moderate Islamist President Sharif Sheik Ahmed openly acknowledged his government lacked power and resources to stop the flow of foreigners into the country.

The Somali leader says the country is being invaded by foreign fighters, who work for the interests of other countries and whose main purpose is to keep Somalia in chaos¹⁰. He says the government is calling for the international community and the Somali people to defend the freedom, honor and the nationhood of Somalia.

On Monday, al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the deadly suicide car bombing the day before, which killed nearly a dozen people including the bomber¹¹ and six government soldiers. Government officials said the attack was carried out by a foreigner, but al-Shabab says the suicide bomber was a Somali from Mogadishu.

Last week, Somalia's security minister Omar Hashi told reporters that foreigners have been spotted¹² fighting in pitched battles against government forces in Mogadishu. Al-Shabab's commander in the Banadir region, where Mogadishu is located, confirmed the report.

1 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

2 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。

3 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

4 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。

5 prematurely   

adv.过早地，贸然地

参考例句：

• She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句

6 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

7 instructors   

指导者，教师( instructor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The instructors were slacking on the job. 教员们对工作松松垮垮。
• He was invited to sit on the rostrum as a representative of extramural instructors. 他以校外辅导员身份，被邀请到主席台上。

8 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

9 seaports   

n.海港( seaport的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Airports have joined seaports as ports of entry for the visiting foreigner. 机场和海港一样成为来访的外国人的入境关口。 来自互联网
• Sanya has 16 seaports, 10 islands and 180km of coastline. 三亚有16个港口、10个海岛和180公里的海岸线。 来自互联网

10 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

11 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

12 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。