VOA标准英语2011--Al-Awlaki's Death Leaves Gap in al-Qaida

Al-Awlaki's Death Leaves Gap in al-Qaida

The death of a senior al-Qaida figure by a U.S. air strike in Yemen leaves a gap in the senior ranks of what counterterrorism officials say is the most lethal 1 of the group's franchises 2, Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). But how significant a gap is open to question. Was Anwar al-Awlaki primarily an inspirational figure to would-be jihadists? Or did he play a significant operational role for the group as well?

Former CIA director Michael Hayden says the death of Anwar al-Awlaki is significant, but not as significant as the death of Osama bin 3 Laden 4. In an interview with VOA, Hayden says Awlaki's death will not have great operational impact on al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula because his primary role was as an inspirational figure.

"It's a big deal," said Hayden. "And if you regard, as I do, the most serious current threat to be the self-radicalized, one-off, low-threshold person legitimately 5 inside the United States, this undercuts that effort over the long term because he truly was an inspirational figure. But in terms of making al-Qaida shudder 6 as an organization, this isn't in the same league as bin Laden."

With his flawless, idiom-laden English skills, the American-born Islamic cleric could reach disaffected 7 young Muslims in the West and inspire them to mount attacks. It was a skill precious to al-Qaida as it sought to ramp 8 up attacks on Western targets, but found itself increasingly constrained 9 by Western counterterrorism efforts.

But Hayden points out that Awlaki was viewed in the U.S. as more significant than he actually was because of his background.

"He was an American," said Hayden. "He knew our jargon 10 and knew our culture, could relate to people here. And because of that - how to put this? It was much easier for us to understand the threat coming from him because of who he was and his background, if you know what I mean. It's almost a natural that he floats to the top in the broad popular coverage 11 of the threat, because he was easier for us to talk about, easier for us to explain, easier for us to focus on."

An analysis by the private intelligence firm, Stratfor, cautions against overstating Awlaki's role in AQAP. It points out that he was not the group's leader - that post is held by Nasir al-Wahayshi - and was not even the group's primary religious leader.

But Michael Leiter, who until earlier this year was chief of America's National Counterterrorism Center, disagrees on Awlaki's significance.

In a separate VOA interview, Leiter says Awlaki played a very large part in planning AQAP's operations. He points to Awlaki's pivotal role in such plots at trying to blow up an aircraft over Detroit on December 25, 2009, and a plan to plant bombs on U.S.-bound cargo 12 planes as evidence that his death will have a profound impact on AQAP operationally as well as ideologically 13.

"I think it's significant on both the operational and inspirational front," said Leiter. "First and foremost, Anwar al-Awlaki was in fact the chief of external operations for al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. He had planned and directed attacks against the U.S., most notably 14 the failed Christmas Day attack, and then the plot to attack two cargo planes. And his loss in that sense is very, very significant."

Leiter says Awlaki's American background made him operationally creative, thinking up plots aimed at harming America psychologically as well as physically 15, and seeking to obtain weapons of mass destruction.

"He was quite imaginative," Leiter added. "And he also understood American psychology 16 in a way that led him to try attacks that I think he understood would be particularly terrorizing. So he was both imaginative and also insightful in many ways."

Analysts 17 expect AQAP to try to regroup to make up for Awlaki's loss. Former counterterrorism chief Leiter says Awlaki, like bin Laden, was obsessed 18 with attacking the U.S. and the West, and believes his death may cause AQAP to shift its focus back somewhat to local targets in Yemen.

He adds that there are others in the group who will continue to try to inspire - which happens to be the title of Awlaki's English-language jihadist magazine - more disaffected young Muslims to attack the U.S. But he says they will find that difficult.

"They still have some very dangerous people over there," said Leiter. "They have expertise 19 that helps create some of the weapons that were used in Awlaki's attacks. There are other English-speaking ideologues there who are attempting to radicalize Westerners and plotting against the United States. But Awlaki was iconic in a way that these others, I think, truly are not to a broader audience."

Awlaki's final issue of "Inspire," published in July, contains a eulogy 20 for Osama bin Laden, a poem for the prisoners held in U.S. custody 21 in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and pictorial 22 instruction on how to handle an AK-47 automatic assault rifle.

点击收听单词发音  






1
lethal

  
 


adj.致死的；毁灭性的


参考例句：





A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。












2
franchises

  
 


n.（尤指选举议员的）选举权( franchise的名词复数 )；参政权；获特许权的商业机构（或服务）；（公司授予的）特许经销权v.给…以特许权，出售特许权( franchise的第三人称单数 )


参考例句：





TV franchises will be auctioned to the highest bidder. 电视特许经营权将拍卖给出价最高的投标人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
Ford dealerships operated as independent franchises. 福特汽车公司的代销商都是独立的联营商。 来自辞典例句












3
bin

  
 


n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件


参考例句：





He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。












4
laden

  
 


adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的


参考例句：





He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。












5
legitimately

  
 


ad.合法地；正当地，合理地


参考例句：





The radio is legitimately owned by the company. 该电台为这家公司所合法拥有。
She looked for nothing save what might come legitimately and without the appearance of special favour. 她要的并不是男人们的额外恩赐，而是合法正当地得到的工作。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹












6
shudder

  
 


v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动


参考例句：





The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材，他浑身一阵战栗。
We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。












7
disaffected

  
 


adj.（政治上）不满的，叛离的


参考例句：





He attracts disaffected voters.他吸引了心怀不满的选民们。
Environmental issues provided a rallying point for people disaffected with the government.环境问题把对政府不满的人们凝聚了起来。












8
ramp

  
 


n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速


参考例句：





That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。












9
constrained

  
 


adj.束缚的,节制的


参考例句：





The evidence was so compelling that he felt constrained to accept it. 证据是那样的令人折服，他觉得不得不接受。
I feel constrained to write and ask for your forgiveness. 我不得不写信请你原谅。












10
jargon

  
 


n.术语，行话


参考例句：





They will not hear critics with their horrible jargon.他们不愿意听到评论家们那些可怕的行话。
It is important not to be overawed by the mathematical jargon.要紧的是不要被数学的术语所吓倒.












11
coverage

  
 


n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖


参考例句：





There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。












12
cargo

  
 


n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物


参考例句：





The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。












13
ideologically

  
 


adv. 意识形态上地，思想上地


参考例句：





Ideologically, they have many differences. 在思想意识上，他们之间有许多不同之处。
He has slipped back ideologically. 他思想退步了。












14
notably

  
 


adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地


参考例句：





Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。












15
physically

  
 


adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律


参考例句：





He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。












16
psychology

  
 


n.心理，心理学，心理状态


参考例句：





She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。












17
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。












18
obsessed

  
 


adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的


参考例句：





He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。












19
expertise

  
 


n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长


参考例句：





We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。












20
eulogy

  
 


n.颂词；颂扬


参考例句：





He needs no eulogy from me or from any other man. 他不需要我或者任何一个人来称颂。
Mr.Garth gave a long eulogy about their achievements in the research.加思先生对他们的研究成果大大地颂扬了一番。












21
custody

  
 


n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留


参考例句：





He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。












22
pictorial

  
 


adj.绘画的；图片的；n．画报


参考例句：





The had insisted on a full pictorial coverage of the event.他们坚持要对那一事件做详尽的图片报道。
China Pictorial usually sells out soon after it hits the stands.《人民画报》往往一到报摊就销售一空。