2006年VOA标准英语-Ethiopia Says Preparations Complete for Possibl
时间:2019-01-12 作者:英语课 分类:2006年VOA标准英语(十一月)
By Cathy Majtenyi
23 November 2006
In a motion put forth 1 to parliament Thursday, Ethiopia's prime minister indicated that his country could use force to defend Ethiopia against Somali Islamists if negotiations 2 with them are unsuccessful. Officials of the Islamic Courts Union had earlier declared a jihad, or Holy War, against Ethiopia over the presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.
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Meles Zenawi (file photo)
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told the lawmakers that the Islamists who declared Holy War against Ethiopia are a "clear and present danger" to Ethiopia, and that Ethiopians need to be defended against such a threat.
Minister of Information Berhane Hailu insists that Meles' comments were not a declaration of war.
"I'm hearing that the prime minister's message is going to be misinterpreted, that the country of Ethiopia has declared war against Somalia," said Hailu. "That is completely wrong. What the prime minister said is that we are trying to solve the problem peacefully. If this option is not successful, the parliament should allow the government to use its legal right to defend the country."
But officials of the Islamic Courts Union, who reportedly met in the capital Mogadishu to discuss the issue shortly after the motion was put forward, say otherwise.
The French news agency, AFP, quoted an Islamic Courts Union spokesman as saying Meles' motion is a threat to regional peace and that Ethiopia was showing what he called "reckless, war-thirsty behavior."
The spokesman was quoted by the French news agency as saying "we are not a threat to Ethiopia, but the presence of its troops in our homeland is a serious security risk to Somalia as well as Ethiopia."
Lawmakers in Ethiopia's parliament ended up rejecting Meles' motion.
Beyene Petros, the head of the opposition 4 United Ethiopian Democratic Forces, explains why.
"It's an overreaction, and I do not think the government, and for that matter the Ethiopian military or the armed forces, need any clearance 5 to stop whatever intrusion at the border," Petros said.
Beyene says there is no need for the prime minister to give the military advanced permission to ward 3 off an attack by the Islamists, as it is the military's job to defend the country against external attack.
Such a motion is dangerous, says Beyene, because it can be interpreted as a declaration of war against the Somali Islamists and it can inflame 6 already heated tensions in the region.
The Islamic Courts Union vehemently 7 opposes the presence of foreign peacekeepers in Somalia, especially those from neighboring Ethiopia.
After much denial of the presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia, the Ethiopian government recently admitted the existence of a small number of troops, but only acting 8 in a training capacity.
Eyewitnesses 9 and other maintain that Ethiopian soldiers are fighting alongside their Somali counterparts.
The Islamic Courts Union first started its expansion back in June, when it took control of the capital Mogadishu. It has since captured much of southern Somalia.
Ever since civil war broke out in 1991, militias 10 loyal to clan 11 and sub-clan-based factions 12 have controlled different parts of the country, with no central authority to provide law and order and even basic services to the population.
A transitional Somali parliament was formed in Kenya more than a year ago following a peace process.
- The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
- He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
- negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
- Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。
- The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
- During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时,我要点根火把,抵挡蚊虫。
- The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
- The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
- There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
- The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。
- Our lack of response seemed to inflame the colonel.由于我们没有反应,好象惹恼了那个上校。
- Chemical agents manufactured by our immune system inflame our cells and tissues,causing our nose to run and our throat to swell.我们的免疫系统产生的化学物质导致我们的细胞和组织发炎,导致我们流鼻水和我们的喉咙膨胀。
- He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈,以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
- Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。
- Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
- During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
- The examination of all the eyewitnesses took a week. 对所有证人的质询用了一周的时间。
- Several eyewitnesses testified that they saw the officers hit Miller in the face. 几位目击证人证明他们看见那几个警官打了米勒的脸。
- 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
- She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
- The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以,中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。